BJD and Congress slammed the Odisha government over alleged mismanagement during this year’s Rath Yatra in Puri.

BHUBANESWAR: Opposition BJD and Congress slammed the Odisha government in the assembly over alleged mismanagement during this year’s Rath Yatra in Puri, a charge denied by the treasury bench.
The Rath Yatra issue cropped up during an adjournment motion moved by Congress legislature party leader (CLP) Rama Chandra Kadam, who alleged the BJP government completely failed to manage the Rath Yatra, observed on July 7.
Kadam said massive mismanagement and irregularities occurred during the festival. He further said that devotees across the globe were pained when Lord Balabhadra’s idol fell on servitors during the Pahandi ritual on the Taladhwaja chariot in front of Gundicha temple on July 9. He alleged the government handled the issue lightly.
“It is not just a simple mismanagement. Rather, it is a mega mismanagement. The government just cannot wash its hands off the issue,” Ashok Das, deputy CLP leader, told the media outside the assembly.
BJD’s Chandabali MLA Byomakesh Ray said a devotee died and several others were injured due to inept handling of Rath Yatra by the BJP government. Ray alleged the government treated the festival as a party event.
“Several non-servitors and relatives of BJP members ascended the chariots. However, no action was taken against them. While the sentiment of devotees across the world was hurt after Lord Balabhadra’s idol fell, the government did not show any seriousness on the sensitive issue,” Ray alleged.
Replying to the adjournment motion, law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan described the allegations as false, baseless, and unfounded.
“This year’s Rath Yatra was unique as rituals of Nabajouban Darshan, Netra Utsav, and Rath Yatra were performed on a single day. All the rituals were conducted smoothly and appreciated by devotees from across the country and abroad,” Harichandan said in his reply, even as BJD and Congress members staged a walkout.
Outside the assembly, the law minister rubbished allegations about the death of a devotee, clarifying that he died due to a cardiac arrest and not due to a stampede. The minister also came down heavily on the previous BJD government over frequent disruptions of daily rituals in Puri Jagannath Temple.
“The opposition did not have the patience to hear my reply. Their allegations were not based on facts. Promotion of Jagannath culture and management of the temple are the priority areas of our government,” Harichandan told the media.