Puri: The Convenor of Jagannath Sena, a religious organization dedicated to safeguarding Jagannath culture, filed a complaint on Monday at the Singhadwar Police Station against BJP Member of Parliament and veteran actress Hema Malini.
In his complaint, Priyadarshee Pattnaik alleged that Hema Malini, a non-Hindu, entered the Sri Jagannath Temple during Holi celebrations. He claimed that Hema Malini married Dharmendra after both converted to Islam at a Mumbai mosque to circumvent the penal provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, as Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur and had four children.
Following the conversion, Dharmendra was reportedly renamed Dilawar Khan Keval Krishna, while Hema Malini took the name Aisha Bi R. Chakravarti. Their Nikah was conducted by Maulana Kazi Abdulla Fauzabadi on August 21, 1979. The matter came to light when Dharmendra filed his nomination for the Bikaner Lok Sabha seat, Pattnaik stated in his complaint.
Despite being aware of her religious status, Hema Malini entered the Sri Jagannath Temple, allegedly violating several legal provisions. The Jagannath Sena Convenor demanded that she be prosecuted under Sections 298, 299, 300, 301, 302, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS).
The police have registered the complaint in the station diary and are consulting higher authorities regarding the matter, sources said.
On March 15, veteran actress Hema Malini visited the Sri Jagannath Temple, offered prayers, and later participated in Holi celebrations. Accompanied by BJP Puri MP Sambit Patra, she sought the blessings of Lord Jagannath.
Expressing her joy in celebrating Holi at Jagannath Dham, Hema Malini stated that she usually celebrates Holi in Mathura and offers prayers at the Banke Bihari Temple. However, this year, she was excited to celebrate Holi in both Mathura on Friday and Puri on Saturday.
