Bhubaneswar: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday called for a judicial inquiry into the alleged gross mismanagement during this year’s Ratha Jatra in Puri, which led to the deaths of three devotees in a stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple. The demand comes ahead of Bahuda Jatra, scheduled for Saturday, which marks the return journey of the deities.
Terming the events surrounding the festival “deeply distressing,” the BJD asserted that the administrative inquiry announced by the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was “grossly inadequate.”
“We therefore humbly urge a judicial inquiry, monitored by a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court, to ensure full accountability and justice for the victims,” the BJD stated in a memorandum submitted to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati.
A BJD delegation, led by senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra and including MPs, MLAs, and other senior leaders, met Governor Dr.Kambhampati at Raj Bhavan to apprise him of the concerns of the people and the party. The opposition party also urged the governor to personally intervene and oversee the remaining events of the Rath Yatra to prevent any further mismanagement.
Highlighting the cultural significance of the Rath Yatra, the BJD emphasized that it is not merely a religious event but the “cultural soul of Odisha.” “The pain, grief, and outrage caused by the events of this year are profoundly felt across communities. We place our trust in your wisdom and constitutional authority to take immediate and appropriate action in the larger interest of the people and the devotees of Lord Jagannath across the globe,” the BJD’s memorandum read.
Debi Prasad Mishra told Media, “The manner in which the BJP government conducted the Rath Yatra hurt the sentiments of the people. Due to the callous and casual attitude of the state government, more than 750 devotees were injured, and three people lost their lives the following day due to the stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple.”
The BJD also informed the governor about allegations of police personnel physically assaulting and restraining several eminent senior journalists from covering the events. Furthermore, the party claimed that servitors performing rituals were “pulled down from the chariots.”
The opposition party partly attributed the tragedy to the “indiscriminate issuance of over 10,000 cordon passes by the ruling BJP,” allegedly distributed to party workers and affiliates, which they claimed “far exceeded safe operational limits and contributed to overcrowding.”
Despite multiple preparatory meetings at the chief minister’s level for smooth and hassle-free Rath Yatra management, the BJD stated that the outcome was the opposite. The party also informed the governor that the state government failed to reconstitute the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, the highest decision-making and policy-making body of the shrine.
The BJD further raised concerns over unresolved issues from Rath Jatra 2024, including the fall of Lord Balabhadra’s idol from the Taladhwaja chariot, an incident that triggered widespread outrage. The party claimed that although a three-member committee was formed to investigate the matter, its report has not been made public even after a year.