Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday demanded a judicial inquiry and the immediate dismissal of Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, accusing the state government of gross mismanagement during Rath Yatra of the Lords of Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri.
Speaking at a press conference, BJD state vice-president Sanjay Das Burma alleged that the Health Minister has misled the people of the state and attempts are being made to suppress the deaths and injuries in the alleged stampede during Rath Yatra. “Four persons, who were critically injured in the stampede, were admitted to the Puri Hospital, and three among them died. Besides this, the CDMO reportedly announced that more than 350 persons were injured. However, the state government subsequently stated that only two persons had died and remained silent regarding the death of the third person,” he said, accusing the state government of trying to conceal the truth.
While confirming deaths of two devotees, the Mohan Majhi government explicitly denied that a stampede occurred. Health Minister Mahaling stated the fatalities resulted from medical emergencies: one devotee over 60 died from severe suffocation, while the other, 35-year-old Anil Dash, died of suspected cardiac arrest.
Das Burma accused the BJP government of evading accountability by invoking the name of Lord Jagannath. He added that the “double-engine” government’s failure to ensure a smooth Rath Yatra — despite holding multiple preparatory meetings — has brought disrepute to Odisha.
The BJD demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, insisting that the findings be made public. Additionally, the party called for the release of previous, still-undisclosed Rath Yatra inquiry reports, including those regarding the fatal stampede and the incident where Lord Balabhadra slipped from the Charamal during the Pahandi procession. Questioning why the chariots were pulled after sunset, a move they claim violates established religious traditions and rituals, the party also sought clarification from the state government for this departure from long-standing customs.
Echoing the same, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty criticised the ministers for allegedly failing to handle the massive gathering, which resulted in a stampede-like situation that led to casualties and left hundreds hospitalised.
Mohanty also expressed outrage over the ministers’ refusal to acknowledge the stampede despite clear media footage. “Though the postmortem reports reportedly confirmed stampede as the cause of death, the Health Minister continued to tell the media that the devotees had died due to other causes,” he said.
He criticised the Health Minister for prioritising his physical fitness and running on the beach while victims were fighting for their lives at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. He asserted that both the ministers have demonstrated absolute incompetence and are “unfit to remain in the cabinet”.
The opposition party also hit out at the government regarding the chaotic distribution of cordon passes, along with VIP and VVIP privileges, claiming that ordinary Odias were unable to have a smooth and peaceful darshan of Lord Jagannath during Rath Yatra.
Mohanty targeted the ruling party’s election slogan of “Odia Asmita” (Odia pride), stating that their poor organisation of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra has brought embarrassment to Odisha globally.