Vijay Goel posts Lingaraj photos, sparks row

Bhubaneswar: Union minister of state for parliamentary affairs Vijay Goel has landed in a controversy after posting photos of sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha) of Lingaraj temple in Odisha capital on Twitter.

Wishing the people of Odisha on the occasion of Utkala Divas on Sunday, Mr Goel tweeted three photos mentioning that those were clicked during his trip to Bhubaneswar last year.

Two of the photos featured the Union minister offering prayer to the deity at the Garbhagriha.

Worth mentioning, cameras, mobile phones and other recording devices are not allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

However, Goel on Monday withdrew the images.

“On Sunday, on the occasion of Utkala Divas, I had by mistake tweeted pictures of the Lingaraja Temple from my trip last year. I did not wish to hurt anyone’s sentiments and therefore, I am withdrawing the tweet/images,” the minister tweeted.

Reacting sharply over the incident, senior Congress leader Sura Routray demanded the resignation of the Union minister.