Bhubaneswar, July 16 (). Following the death of a devotee in an alleged stampede during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha on Thursday, the main opposition party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) as well as the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) have also targeted the state government.
OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das expressed deep grief over the death of the devotee and appealed to the state government to remain alert and ensure proper crowd management arrangements, so that such incidents do not happen again in future.
He said that during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, devotee Anil Das suffocated due to excessive crowd near Marichikot Chowk on Bada Danda (Grand Road). About 100 feet away from the police barricade, Anil Das, a resident of Keonjhar district, suddenly collapsed. He was immediately taken to Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where he was declared dead by doctors.
Devotee Charan Das said that repeated occurrence of such incidents during Rath Yatra is a matter of serious concern and should be thoroughly reviewed. Terming the incident as inexcusable, he alleged that one devotee has died while more than 150 people are undergoing treatment for suffocation and other crowd-related health problems.
He also mentioned the stampede that took place in Puri during the Rath Yatra last year, in which three people were killed. Das alleged that issuing excessive number of cordon passes and allowing RSS volunteers to enter the restricted area were among the major reasons for the alleged disorder.
Criticizing the state government, he said that the rituals of Lord Jagannath were conducted without the traditional “Tahiya”. Tahiya is a large and fragrant flower crown, which is worn by the deities. He said that this has hurt the religious sentiments of the Odia community.
At the same time, the state government has denied the allegations of stampede incidents during the Rath Yatra on Thursday, but has confirmed the death of two devotees in Puri.
According to the state government, the health of seven people deteriorated during the Rath Yatra, who were immediately rushed to the hospital by the deployed personnel. Among these, a male devotee aged above 60 years allegedly died due to suffocation.
Moreover, in a separate incident another male devotee aged above 35 suffered a heart attack and despite immediate medical attention his life could not be saved.
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AMT/ABM
