Air India apologizes for error in article on Jagannath temple in its in-house magazine

The AI General Manager Revenue Management and Pricing who air dashed from Delhi told the media persons that the AI has put a ban on the author of the article Madhulika Das for hurting the sentiments of lakhs of Jagannath devotees by writing that veg and non-veg items were prepared in Jagannath Temple and served to the people every day.

Mallik said AI will not accept any article form the author in future. The editor of the Magazine was also cautioned, she said, adding that "we will ensure that that such type of mistake will never happen again." The Author of the article also tendered her apology for the error, she said and remarked that since the sentiments of the whole state is attached with the Jagannath Temple such error should not have happened.

She said the article has been removed from the all social media including face book, twitter, web page and the net. Officials in all the Airport were asked to offload the magazine from all domestic and international flights and see that it was not circulated to the passengers.

In an article in the current month issue of the Subh Yatra the author has written that about 500 cooks prepare 285 varieties of veg and non-veg items and serve people every day in the Jagannath temple. A state-wide hue and cry was made over the article after one passenger Rudra Prasad Rath who boarded the AIR India flight from New Delhi to Bhubaneswar on October 27 last read the article and brought it to the notice of the crew members and the media.

Later Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik strongly reacted to the writings and described it as most unfortunate. He said the government will take up the matter with the appropriate authority. Odisha Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Panda condemned the article and said he would take up the matter with the Air India authority and Civil Aviation Department.

Panda said the article on the Jagannath temple in the magazine was not based on fact and it had hurt the sentiments of the lakhs of Jagannath devotees. The Minister said the editorial team of the Magazine should have examined the article before publishing it. The activists of the Jagannath Sena, a local outfit in the pilgrim town Puri held a demonstration in front of the Lions gate of the Jagannath Temple in protest against the article and threatened to move the court if the Air India did not tender apology and withdraw the copies of the magazine.

The Odisha unit of the BJP also strongly condemned the article and demanded its immediate withdrawal and case against the. The Air India in its tweeter tendered an apology for the error in the magazine and said "our intention was not to hurt the sentiments of the people."