BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief over the death of a person in a crowd surge during the Rath Yatra in Puri.
In a post on X, the BJD president said he was saddened by the death of the devotee and prayed for peace to his soul and speedy recovery of more than a hundred injured persons. He hoped that the state government would ensure convenience and safety of the devotees by proper crowd management.
Meanwhile, the BJD said appropriate corrective measures should be taken to prevent such incidents and ensure the safety, security and dignity of every devotee participating in the festival. A team from the party visited the injured persons at Puri hospital to enquire about their health.
President of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Bhakta Charan Das also expressed concern over the incident and urged the state government to ensure such lapses do not recur. Holding the state government responsible for the crowd surge, he said the administration should have learnt from past incidents.