BJD demands judicial probe into Puri Rath Yatra deaths, blames Odisha govt

Bhubaneswar, July 20 (IANS) The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday demanded a judicial inquiry into the deaths of devotees during the Rath Yatra in Puri on July 16, holding the BJP-led government in Odisha entirely responsible for this tragic incident.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Bhubaneswar, State BJD Vice President and former Minister Sanjay Kumar Das Burma and party Media Coordinator and Spokesperson Dr Lenin Mohanty alleged that the state government had failed to manage the world-famous Rath Yatra properly.

Expressing grief over the deaths of devotees, Das Burma said the incident had hurt the sentiments of crores of Lord Jagannath’s devotees across the world.

He alleged that the State Government was trying to suppress the facts related to the incident. Referring to the statement of the Health Minister, Das Burma said the Minister had claimed that the devotees did not die in a stampede and that one person died of a heart attack while another died due to suffocation.

He alleged that the Government has not disclosed what exactly happened during the Rath Yatra or the actual number of people who died or were injured.

Das Burma also claimed that four critically injured persons were admitted to Puri Hospital after the incident, of whom three later died. He further alleged that while the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) had said that more than 350 people were injured, the State Government later stated that only two people had died and remained silent about the alleged third death.

The BJD leader said the BJP Government had held several meetings before the Rath Yatra, claiming to ensure smooth management of the festival, but failed to prevent the tragedy. He alleged that the Government was trying to hide its administrative failure instead of accepting responsibility.

Das Burma further claimed that the post-mortem reports mentioned that the devotees died due to the stampede, contrary to the statements made by the Health Minister.

The BJD demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and asked the State Government to make the inquiry report public. The party also demanded the resignation of Health Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan from the State Council of Ministers.

It also demanded that reports of previous Rath Yatra-related inquiries, including those into stampede deaths and the incident in which Lord Balabhadra slipped from the Charamal during the Pahandi procession, be released.

BJD also questioned why the chariots were pulled after sunset, alleging that there is no religious tradition permitting the practice. It asked the Government to explain why the established rituals and traditions were not followed.

“Although the double-engine Government held repeated meetings claiming to ensure smooth management of the Rath Yatra, its complete failure has brought disrepute to Odisha. The overall failure of the double-engine Government has resulted in this tragic incident, leaving devotees of Lord Jagannath across the world shocked and saddened,” Das Burma alleged.

–IANS

grm/uk