BHUBANESWAR: With the Bahuda Yatra of the Holy Trinity also witnessing crowd surge which left one devotee dead and over 100 others injured, the BJD lashed out at the BJP saying it was yet another example of the government’s continuing failure in managing the world’s largest annual spiritual congregation.
Expressing grief over the tragic death of Abhiram Das of Cuttack, party vice-president Sanjay Kumar Das Burma said the person lost his life in a stampede in front of Devi Subhadra’s chariot Darpadalana. “While the wounds of the tragedy that occurred during the Rath Yatra are yet to heal, this fresh incident has once again exposed the administration’s inability to ensure the safety of devotees and maintain orderly crowd management,” he said.
The BJD demanded that the government should immediately announce adequate compensation for the family of the deceased devotee and the injured be shifted to super-specialty hospitals in Bhubaneswar and provided best possible medical care. A team of BJD leaders visited the injured at the Puri DHH and enquired about their health.
“The repeated occurrence of such tragic incidents has not only brought embarrassment to the people of Odisha but has also diminished the sanctity and dignity of this sacred festival. The government should set aside its arrogance, acknowledge its shortcomings and work with sincerity to ensure the rituals of Suna Besha, Adharapana and Niladri Bije are conducted smoothly,” he said.
The Opposition party also demanded a judicial inquiry into all deaths and injuries allegedly caused by stampedes and crowd management failures during both the Rath Yatra and the Bahuda Yatra.
The inquiry must fix responsibility for the lapses, identify those accountable and recommend appropriate action against the guilty officials while suggesting comprehensive measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents in the future, he said.