Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today made a startling revelation that the state government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court for cancellation of Rath Yatra in 2020.

“The state government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court for cancellation of the Rath Yatra during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020,” claimed Pradhan while addressing a presser here today.

The BJP leader also revealed that he had donated Rs 1 lakh from his salary for the development of Jagannath temple at Odisha’s Puri town.

Pradhan made this statement after a few Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders alleged that he had made an attempt to stall the Jagannath temple heritage corridor project.

Pradhan revealed that the BJP government at the Centre had provided Rs 50 crore to the state government during the Nabakalebara festival of Lord Jagannath in 2015.

“I had only raised some objections when the state government razed several ancient structures for construction of the Srimandir heritage corridor project. One cannot say that I had tried to stall the project,” he said.

The Union Minister further alleged that a few non-Odia people are running the show in Odisha.

“A non-Odia person has occupied an important position in the BJD organization. Is no one from the 4 crore people of Odisha capable of holding that post? The BJD supremo should give a proper answer in this regard to the people of Odisha,” Pradhan said.

The BJP leader also targeted the BJD government for its alleged failure in various sectors including health and education.