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The West Bengal government, led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) volition region the connection ‘Dham’ from the sanction of the Jagannath temple successful Digha, founded by the erstwhile Trinamool Congress government.
In a property briefing from the State secretariat, Nabanna, connected Tuesday (June 9, 2026), Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari declared that the determination was taken pursuing a proposition from the Odisha Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi.
The MP of the Puri Lok Sabha constituency, Sambit Patra, connected Tuesday handed implicit Mr. Manjhi’s missive to Mr. Adhikari. “I americium accepting this letter. We are withdrawing the connection - ‘Dham’. We respect the Sanatana Dharma. There is lone Chaar Dham (four abodes) successful Hindu Sanatana. In 2025, this temple was inaugurated and named Jagannath Dham. This determination wounded the sentiment of each the Hindus successful Odisha, and besides the ones who enactment successful Bengal from Odisha. Nobody should play with the halfway Sanatana ideology. Now the authorities has changed and we person decided to enactment connected this matter,” said Mr. Adhikari.
On April 30, 2025, the then-West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, inaugurated the temple successful Digha, which was built astatine a outgo of astir ₹250 crores. The shrine is besides a replica of the 12th-century temple successful Puri.
Objection from BJP
However, the State BJP enactment labelled Ms. Banerjee a “fake Hindu,” accusing her of indulging successful tokenistic spiritual operation to divert attraction from number appeasement policies.
BJP leaders, on with spiritual authorities from Puri, objected to the temple being called “Jagannath Dham.” They argued that the word “Dham” is religiously exclusive to the ineffable Char Dham (including Puri), and yet celebrated the removal of the “Dham” signage by the State arsenic a triumph for Hindu unity.
Mr. Adhikari, said, “Let maine authorities intelligibly that the then-government had approved it arsenic a taste centre. We volition region the connection ‘Dham’. The taste centre analyzable volition remain, and worship volition continue. The full analyzable volition relation arsenic a temple, but the connection ‘Dham’ volition beryllium dropped. I, too, felt that the erstwhile authorities had disregarded people’s sentiments”
The Chief Minister besides declared that the Chief Secretary, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, volition soon contented a ceremonial notification successful this regard.
