Bhubaneswar | Naveen Patnaik, the chief of the BJD, criticized the Odisha government on Saturday regarding the three deaths that occurred during this year’s Rath Yatra. He accused the administration of displaying a “lackadaisical attitude” in organizing the event safely and claimed that it has not learned from previous errors.
This year, at least three individuals lost their lives during the Rath Yatra: two from suffocation and one from a cardiac arrest. The fatalities included two on July 16 during the pilgrimage to Gundicha Temple and one during the return car festival on Friday.
As the opposition leader in the state assembly, Patnaik expressed his concerns in a social media post, questioning, “Why do such incidents keep happening during Rath Yatra? Why is the government so indifferent? It is alarming that the government appears to disregard the importance of ensuring the safe completion of Mahaprabhu’s nine-day sacred journey.” He further claimed that the BJP government shows “no willingness to learn from past mistakes.”
Patnaik criticized the repetitive nature of these tragedies, stating, “Accidents occur year after year during Rath Yatra—people are losing their lives, and the state is suffering a loss of reputation—but the government’s approach remains unchanged.” He suggested that instead of addressing the issues, the government is adopting a casual stance and temporary fixes.
“How many more tragedies must occur before the government takes action? It is unfortunate that despite annual incidents, the government remains oblivious to the lessons that should be learned,” he remarked.
In a prior incident, three individuals died, and numerous others were injured in a stampede near Gundicha Temple on June 29, 2025. Following that event, the state government initiated an investigation and transferred the district collector and police chief of Puri.
Patnaik urged the government to prioritize safety measures to ensure that rituals, from ‘Sunabesha’ to ‘Niladri Bije,’ are carried out without any disturbances. “May the devotees who come to seek Mahaprabhu’s darshan not lose their lives,” he expressed.
Offering his condolences to the families of those who died, Patnaik also extended prayers for the quick recovery of the injured. In related news, BJD vice president Sanja Das Burma, who visited the injured at the district hospital in Puri, remarked, “This is yet another sad reflection of the Odisha government’s ongoing failure to manage the world’s largest annual spiritual gathering effectively.” He reported that a total of 102 devotees sustained injuries due to crowd mismanagement on ‘Bada Danda’ or Grand Road during the Bahuda Yatra on Friday, and the BJD is calling for immediate and adequate compensation for the families of the deceased.
