Adani Prioritised Over Mahaprabhu Jagannath: Congress Attacks Odisha Govt Over Stampede
New Delhi, 30 June – The Congress party has launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Odisha government, holding it responsible for the tragic stampede during the Rath Yatra in Puri that claimed three lives and left hundreds injured. In a strongly worded statement, Congress leaders accused the state government of desecrating one of India’s holiest festivals by turning it into a “VIP circus” allegedly tailored for industrialist Gautam Adani.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress leaders Saptagiri Ulaka and Arabinda Das demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan. They also called for a court-monitored judicial inquiry into the incident and financial compensation for the victims’ families.
“The Rath Yatra is not merely a festival. It is a 1,200-year-old sacred tradition where the Lord of the Universe mingles with His devotees in an overwhelming display of equality,” said Ulaka. “Never in living memory have the chariots remained unmoved due to political interference. Until now.”
The party alleged that the chariot of Mahaprabhu Jagannath, Nandighosha, failed to progress significantly even by 7:30 PM on the day of the Yatra, leaving lakhs of devotees heartbroken. Taladhwaja and Darpadalana, the chariots of Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, also failed to reach their destinations. This breakdown, the party claimed, was not due to mismanagement but deliberate political staging, intended to prioritise VIP movements and optics over sacred rituals.
The Congress alleged that rituals such as Chhera Pahara were delayed and coordination with the Gajapati Maharaja completely collapsed. A stampede near Saradhabali on 28 June led to the deaths of three devotees and injuries to hundreds more, including a woman journalist who was reportedly assaulted by police.
In an explosive claim, the Congress accused the state government of halting the chariots to accommodate Adani’s arrival. “Was Mahaprabhu Jagannath made to wait for Gautam Adani?” the leaders asked, branding it a desecration of Odia cultural pride. “Our homes run on the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath. But the homes of BJP leaders run on the blessings of Adani,” they remarked.
Further outrage followed the statement of the Chief Administrator of the Shri Jagannath Temple, who blamed the slow progress of the chariots on a lack of devotees. “If he wants to be honest, he should admit the chariots were halted because of Adani,” the Congress leaders countered. Law Minister Harichandan’s remark that “nothing untoward has happened” was also criticised as a “grave insult” to the families of those who lost their lives.
The Congress demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and Rs 25 lakh for those critically injured. They also insisted on a full and transparent disclosure of the death toll.
“BJP may silence media and manipulate headlines, but they cannot deceive Mahaprabhu or the millions who witnessed the desecration of faith live on television,” said Ulaka. “In the court of Mahaprabhu Jagannath, this government has failed.”
