The Opposition BJD and Congress squarely blamed the state machinery for the utter chaos during the chariot-pulling procession on the Grand Road in the pilgrim town.
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The inordinate delay in pulling Lord Jagannath’s chariot, poor crowd management, injuries due to stampedes, and indiscriminate distribution of cordon passes during Friday’s Rath Yatra in Puri have become a major embarrassment for the BJP-led Odisha Government.
The Opposition BJD and Congress squarely blamed the state machinery for the utter chaos during the chariot-pulling procession on the Grand Road in the pilgrim town.
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Reacting to the situation, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik on Saturday expressed deep concern over the “inordinate delay” in pulling the Nandighosha chariot of Lord Jagannath.
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“This incident has tarnished Odisha’s dignity on a global stage, and it does not bode well for the state’s image,” said Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das.
Former Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik strongly criticized the government, stating, “Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb should apologise before Lord Jagannath for the mismanagement.”
In a veiled attack on the state administration, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik said it was impossible to remain silent in the face of such mismanagement during a sacred event.
“We are not here to point fingers or blame the administration for yesterday’s inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosha chariot. But it’s impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our state,” Patnaik posted on X.
Meanwhile, the State BJP unit refuted the allegations, accusing both BJD and Congress of spreading misinformation for political gain.
“There was a massive turnout of devotees for the grand spectacle, and the annual festival was incident-free,” said State BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal on Saturday.
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