The Odisha government has appointed senior bureaucrat Aravind Agarwal to oversee the overall management of the Rath Yatra, officials confirmed on Sunday. The move came in the wake of a tragic stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, which left three people dead and about 50 others injured during the early hours of Sunday as devotees gathered for the annual festival.
Dharmendra Pradhan Urges Better Arrangements, Rahul Gandhi Seeks Prep Review
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed deep sorrow over the deaths, emphasising the need for improved arrangements at the event. “The management there should have made better arrangements… I express my condolences,” Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, told PTI Videos while in Panihati, West Bengal.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the incident as “extremely tragic” and urged the Odisha government to speed up relief operations. “This tragedy is a serious reminder that security and crowd management preparations for such large events must be thoroughly reviewed. Protecting lives is paramount, and any lapse in this responsibility is unacceptable,” Gandhi posted on X. He extended his condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery, appealing to Congress workers to assist in relief efforts.
पुरी में रथ यात्रा के दौरान हुई भगदड़ की घटना अत्यंत दुखद है। शोक संतप्त परिवारों के प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदना और घायल श्रद्धालुओं के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की आशा करता हूं।
ओडिशा सरकार से अपील है कि राहत कार्यों में तेजी लाए और कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ताओं से आग्रह है कि वो इसमें हर संभव मदद…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 29, 2025
Odisha Congress Chief Slams ‘VIP Culture’ Amid Stampede Chaos
Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das criticised what he described as administrative failures and “VIP culture,” which he alleged hindered effective crowd management. Speaking to ANI, Das said, “There was a large crowd this time, but the chariot of Lord Jagannath was not moving forward, and not enough efforts were made to move the chariot. In the night, an event was supposed to happen, but there were lapses in the arrangements there, too.”
He added, “If we see that Rath Yatra must be devotee-centric, which it was not, it is seen. VIPs came between God and devotees, nothing has happened to VIPs, they are being taken care of, I was also there, nothing happened to me.” Das demanded an investigation into those responsible, stating, “Such an incident to devotees is wrong, they (state government) should find the people responsible and do an investigation.”
Odisha CM Apologises, Announces Compensation With Administrative Inquiry
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced Rs 25 lakh in financial assistance for the families of the deceased. According to a press note issued by the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office, the stampede was caused by overcrowding, resulting in the deaths of three devotees.
He also tendered an apology on behalf of his government for the incident. “Due to intense eagerness among devotees to have a glimpse of Mahaprabhu… an unfortunate incident occurred because of the resulting jostling and chaos. I and my government seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of devotees who lost their lives… pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow,” Majhi stated.
The Chief Minister ordered a detailed administrative inquiry to be conducted under the supervision of the Development Commissioner. Additionally, he directed the transfer of the Puri District Collector and Superintendent of Police. Chanchal Rana has been appointed as the new District Collector, while Pinak Mishra will serve as the new SP.
