Puri stampede sparks political storm; BJD slams Odisha Govt, BJP responds

Following the tragic death of three devotees in a recent stampede near Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra in the Puri pilgrimage town, political tension is rising in Odisha. Opposition parties BJD and Congress strongly criticised the State government's response, demanding accountability and stricter action to prevent future mishaps, on Monday.

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According to sources, the three stampede deaths at Saradhabali near the Gundicha Temple have triggered a political uproar in the State. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has severely criticised the Odisha government for allegedly ‘mishandling the situation’, announcing plans to raise the issue in both Parliament and the State Assembly in the coming days.

The Deputy Leader of Opposition (LoP) and senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya stated that merely transferring the District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) was not a real solution, calling it a superficial, cosmetic move.

“Tougher and more effective measures are needed,” Acharya expressed, emphasising the emotional toll this incident has had on devotees of Lord Jagannath across the world. The BJD leader accused the State government of treating the tragedy lightly and warned against underestimating public outrage.

“Had the things been managed properly, such a mishap would not have occurred. It seems that the Government is 'Bakya Bira' but not 'Karma Bira',” BJD’s Acharya added.

Congress party also launched a scathing attack on the Government, demanding full disclosure of what transpired during the stampede. The party further called for the resignation of the Chief Minister, two Deputy CMs, and the Law Minister, citing administrative failure as the cause.

“We want there should be a full disclosure of the incident. How many deaths actually occurred, and what are the identities of the deceased persons? Besides, the deceased’s next of kin must be given ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh each,” Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka said.

Meanwhile, state BJP president Manmohan Samal expressed his sorrow over the incident but defended the government’s response. He claimed that the State administration took appropriate steps at the right time and assured that the BJP remains vigilant to prevent any such future lapses.

“There is no appropriate word to express such grief, and we are all saddened by this fatal incident (stampede). The State government is a sensitive ‘government’ and it has taken the matter seriously,” the BJP state president said.