Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Friday alleged the Trinamool Congress government is distributing “sweets from local shops” as “prasad” of the Digha Jagannath temple, and has accused the administration of playing with the sentiments of Hindu devotees.

“All District Magistrate were ordered to distribute prasad through Duare Ration. The box of sweets will be bought from the local sweet shop. An amount of Rs 20 has been allocated. I have no problem with the budget, but they are not giving the prasad, which is basically demeaning the Hindu dharma,” Adhikari said.

The Jagannath Temple at Digha in Purba Medinipur district was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in May.

After inauguration Banerjee said, the “prasad” of Jagannath Dham will be distributed to all families of the state along with picture of the temple.

In response, the TMC termed Adhikari’s comments as a ‘pack of lies’ and asserted that the prasad of Lord Jagannath will be sourced from the temple and arrangements have been made to send it across every locality in West Bengal.

Countering the BJP allegations, state Information and Culture minister Indranil Sen said, “What he (Suvendu Adhikari) has said is not true.. He is basically demeaning the work of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee… I never seen such a secular person than our CM.”

“What Chief Minister did for Hindu temples like Dakshineswar, Kalighat, Kankalitala and others, no ruling party did earlier. Now, to demean the works of Chief Minister, the BJP is doing diving politics. Every one doe not have the capacity to go to the Jagannath Temple and have prasad of the Temple and that is why it was planned to distribute prasad to every family of the state. BJP is now trying to demean that,” Sen further added.