Bhubaneswar: Demanding unconditional apology for using images of Lord Jagannath and national tricolor on the underwear of women by a US website, Orissa Law Minister B B Harichandan today sought stern action against those behind the heinous act.

In separate letters to the External Affairs Minister, the Union Home Minister and the Ambassador to the USA, Harichandan said the American company www.cafepress.com had "severely hurt religious and patriotic sentiments of crores of people in the country," official sources here said.
Describing the use of Lord Jagannath s image on women s underwear as a damage to the society at large, he said such action by the company was "not only insensitive but also punitive."

"On behalf of the Government of Orissa, I request you to take up the issue with the American government for taking action against the website owner so that the company refrains from such activities and apologize for the same to preserve harmony among Indians and different religious communities," he said in the letters addressed to the two Central ministers.

The minister s letter comes two days after a state-wide outcry over the issue. A group of youths at Puri had also filed an FIR to start legal proceedings against the culprits .

Orissa Speaker Maheswar Mohanty too condemned the incident and sought legal provision to curb the trend of depicting Lord Jagannath's image in public.

Source : PTI