BHUBANESWAR : The delay in pulling of chariots during Rath Yatra in Puri which led to Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra being stuck midway and Lord Jagannath barely moving a few metres from the temple has sparked a massive political outcry with the Opposition Congress and BJD blaming the state government for the mismanagement.
Stating that such occurrence is not a good sign for the state, president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bhakta Charan Das asked if pulling of the chariot of Lord Jagannath was delayed due to some genuine reason or was deliberate.
Questioning the government over the conduct of Rath Yatra, Das said the festival was marred last year too as Lord Balabhadra had fallen down while being taken to Gundicha temple from the chariot. “This time, the chariot of Lord Jagannath moved for less than a feet.
The causes should be analysed properly. The reason for the delay is manmade. I had gone to the Rath Yatra. The crowd was not unmanageable inside the cordon as the government tries to make us believe,” he said.
Das also alleged that the process was deliberately delayed. “I have heard that a VIP is visiting Puri tomorrow. The administration may give any reason, but this is what I have heard,” he said.
Former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik also demanded that Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb should apologise before Lord Jagannath for the lapses.
Meanwhile, the BJD has also demanded an inquiry into the mismanagement. Party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said,”It seemed that the rituals were deliberately delayed. The government should answer for whom the administration was waiting and under what circumstances the chariot of Lord Jagannath was pulled in the night.”
Journalists assaulted by police in Puri
Bhubaneswar: Several senior journalists were injured after being allegedly assaulted by police while covering the Rath Yatra at Puri on Friday. The Information and Public Relations department had arranged a special bus to take them from Bhubaneswar to Puri. But despite showing their cordon passes and identity cards, the police did not allow them to carry out their reporting duties.
The police allegedly misbehaved and physically assaulted many senior journalists. Strongly condemning the action, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty demanded strong action against police personnel involved in the incident. OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das has also condemned the assault on scribes.