Bhubaneswar, July 21: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has called for a judicial inquiry into the tragic deaths of devotees during the Rath Yatra in Puri on July 16. The party has held the BJP-led Odisha government fully responsible for this unfortunate incident.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Bhubaneswar, BJD’s state vice president and former minister Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, along with party media coordinator and spokesperson Dr. Lenin Mohanty, accused the state government of failing to manage the world-famous Rath Yatra properly.
Expressing sorrow over the deaths of the devotees, Das Burma stated that this incident has hurt the sentiments of millions of Lord Jagannath’s devotees worldwide.
He alleged that the state government is attempting to suppress facts related to the incident. Citing a statement from the health minister, Das Burma claimed that the minister stated the deaths did not occur due to a stampede; one person died of a heart attack, while another succumbed to asphyxiation.
He further accused the government of not disclosing the actual events during the Rath Yatra or the accurate number of deceased and injured.
Das Burma also claimed that four seriously injured individuals were admitted to Puri Hospital after the incident, three of whom later died. He added that the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) reported that over 350 people were injured, while the state government acknowledged only two deaths and remained silent about a purported third death.
The BJD leader stated that the BJP government had conducted several meetings before the Rath Yatra, claiming smooth operations of the festival, yet failed to prevent the tragedy. He accused the government of trying to hide its administrative failures instead of accepting responsibility.
The BJD has demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and called for the state government to make the investigation report public. The party has also sought the resignations of Health Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan from the state cabinet.
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