Puri cops deny SC/ST chief Puniya entered temple

The Puri district police on Saturday denied that chairman of the National SC/ST Commission P L Puniya had entered a Kali temple at Ranapada village near Brahmagiri. A section of the media had reported that Puniya had entered the temple, breaking an age-old ban on the entry of Dalits into temples in Puri.

IIC (Brahmagiri police station) Debi Prasad Dash said Puniya, along with senior officials of the commission, visited the temple but did not enter it.

Puniya and Jajpur MP Mohan Jena along with several officials had visited Ranapada, about 30km from Puri, on Friday following allegations of atrocities against the lower caste people in the area.

The villagers had earlier moved the commission after some upper caste people from neighbouring Nuapada village allegedly assaulted three girls inside a temple in August last. The upper caste people had allegedly humiliated the girls by calling them "untouchables".

During his interaction with villagers, Puniya was informed it was against traditions to allow dalits into the temple. Stating that there was discrimination against Dalits in the village, he said he would take up the matter at the national level.

The commission would also seek a report from the state government asking it to explain as to why law had not been enforced to protect the interests of dalits, he said.

“The lower caste people of Ranapada village are still going through sleepless nights. They are a frightened a lot," Jena said. "The Dalit people narrated their plight to the commission chairman. The Centre would seek an explanation from the state government on the issue," he added.

"The upper caste people have socially ostracized the lower caste people in the village. The district administration should come to their rescue," said Bibhu Prasad Tripathy, counsel of the lower caste people.

Local police said the tussle between the upper and lower caste people had led to skirmishes. "There were minor clashes between the two groups. We arrested a number of people belonging to the upper caste society for suppressing dalits," the Brahmagiri police station IIC said.

Puri district collector Fakir Charan Satapathy said, "There is no tension in the village right now. Nor have they been socially boycotted."