A major security concern arose in Puri, Odisha, on Wednesday after threatening messages about a possible attack were found written on the wall on the Maa Thakurani Temple. The messages were discovered on the wall of the temple, located near the Balisahi entrance of the temple's Parikrama Project pathway.
The alarming messages included the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparking panic among locals and the administration. One of the threats read, "terrorists will destroy the temple," alongside several phone numbers and phrases such as "Call me". Words like "Kul Budiba" were also clearly written.
Questions raised on security
The incident took place in the southern section of the Parikrama pathway, an area constantly monitored by CCTV cameras and security guards. This has raised serious questions over how such graffiti was written without being detected.
This is not the first time security concerns have been raised over the Jagannath Temple. The Union Home Ministry and the National Security Guard (NSG) have repeatedly recommended tightening security. However, many CCTV cameras installed along the Parikrama pathway are reportedly still not functioning.
What police said
Puri SP Pinak Mishra said, “This morning, we received information from social media and various sources that something had been written on the wall of Budhi Maa Thakurani Temple. On verification, we found some objectionable content regarding the Jagannath Temple. We have taken note of it and our special team is investigating when and at what time it was written. We are taking the matter very seriously as it concerns the temple’s security. Our team has already gathered important leads from the site."
"Once we catch the culprit, we will know the motive behind this. CCTV coverage is a part of the Parikrama Project, but in some areas the work is still incomplete. We are collecting information from various sources and also checking whether CCTV cameras were functional in the location where the incident occurred. We have found certain leads and are working on them," he added.
Calls for immediate security upgrade
Following the incident, there have been renewed demands to immediately strengthen security measures to ensure that no threat can endanger one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in the country.
Report from Shubham Kumar
