British queen refuses to interfere on Kohinoor issue

Puri: British queen Elizabeth-II has refused to interfere to return the Kohinoor diamond to Jagannath temple in Puri.

City-based voluntary organization Sri Jagannath Sena activists had written a letter to the British queen and Prime Minister in June this year urging them to return Kohinoor diamond to Srimandir as per the will of Sikh king Ranjit Singh.

The Britishers had forcibly taken the precious jewel from Ranjit Singh’s son Duleep Singh after defeating him in a war in 1849. They also submitted a memorandum to the British consulate in Kolkata and claimed that Jagannath temple is the real owner of Kohinoor.

Sources said a British queen representative has written to Sri Jagannath Sena and informed that Elizabeth-II is the ceremonial head of the kingdom and can only act according to the advice of British cabinet.

Her representative has asked the voluntary organization to raise the Kohinoor issue with British government.

“We have received a written reply from Buckingham Palace. We will decide our next course after receiving a reply from the British Prime Minister on Kohinoor diamond,” said Sri Jagannath Sena convenor Priyadarshan Patnaik.