Prez Misconduct Row: Kovind’s press secretary rejects media reports

KalingaTV News Network

Bhubaneswar: By disqualifying the media reports that President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind were misbehaved with at Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri during their three-month-old visit to this 12^th Century shrine in March this year, Ashok Malik, press secretary to the President on Friday dubbed it as ‘false’.

Malik while speaking to a leading media house also rubbished the claim that the Rashtrapati Bhawan had conveyed its displeasure to the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) over the issue.

By admitting that some servitors tried to get closer to the president during the visit which amounts to the breach of protocol, the press secretary informed that their attempt was foiled.

Malik’s reaction holds significance as some media reports aired recently claimed that the President and First Lady Savita Kovind had to face unpleasant situation in the hands of the servitors during their March 18 visit to Srimandir. Citing a report discussed during a recent meeting of SJTA these reports accused the servitors of not giving adequate space to the President and his wife for darshan and even brushing against them.

However, Chief Administrator of SJTA Pradipta Mohapatra took no time to deny that the President and the First Lady were misbehaved after the issue surfaced.