The Congress party has unleashed scathing criticism against the BJP-led Odisha government following the stampede during the sacred Rath Yatra in Puri, which left seven dead and over 700 injured.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress leaders Saptagiri Ulaka and Arabinda Das demanded Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s immediate resignation, calling the tragedy “a clear failure of governance.”
They blamed the mishap on gross mismanagement and alleged that the distribution of 5,000 cordoned-off VIP passes delayed the Yatra, contributing to the chaos. Despite promises of high-tech security systems—including AI-enabled CCTV monitoring and integrated control centres—the situation reportedly spiralled out of control due to inadequate on-ground policing and prioritisation of elite security.
“Who were they waiting for?” Ulaka questioned, pointing to an alleged delay caused by expectations of industrialist Gautam Adani’s arrival. He warned that such VIP culture was a dangerous precedent that risked both lives and the sanctity of the tradition.
The Congress party urged the state to compensate the victims generously—Rs 50 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 25 lakh for the severely injured.
“This isn’t just about poor planning,” Das added, “It’s about protecting the spirit of a divine cultural heritage and ensuring such negligence is never repeated.”
