The opposition Congress is demanding the resignation of Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadei after gold and silver souvenir coins with his name and that of his wife and three sons were found in the Biraja temple in Jajpur town, 130 km from here.

The controversy first erupted in September when the throne on which the idol was kept had to be repaired and the idol had to be removed from the sanctum sanctorum for the purpose.

After 18 days, the temple management installed an idol in the original position. But local media reported that this was not the original idol. Local newspapers also published reports claming that the authentic idol had been stolen.

Opposition parties alleged that the idols were swapped at the minister's behest as he had gone to pray there.

Priests and temple officials, however, found the original idol from the temple premises only a couple of days ago and re-installed it Sunday.

But the controversy refuses to die down. While Ghadei had said in the assembly that he had never performed any rituals at the temple, coins with the minister's name were discovered under the throne of the idol Sunday.

Opposition leaders now accuse him of making a false statement in the assembly.

"The minister's involvement is evident from the coins," said senior Congress leader Sarat Rout.    

But Ghadei denies the allegations. "I will not resign," he said. I visited the temple like any other devotee and I am not involved," he said.

--Indo-Asian News Service