CM and Law Minister Must Take Moral Responsibility and Resign: BJD
- The promise of a smooth and flawless RathYatra turned into mere eyewash.
- Mistreatment and manhandling of journalists are condemnable.
- The distribution of over 10,000 cordon passes was the root cause of the chaos.
Bhubaneswar, 28/06/2025:The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) came down heavily on the BJP-led Odisha Government today, accusing it of complete mismanagement and chaos during this year’s RathYatra, despite promises of a flawless and disciplined celebration. Presenting a detailed account of the series of failures to the media, the BJD demanded that both the Chief Minister Shri Mohan Majhiand Law Minister Shri PrithvirajHarichandan accept moral responsibility and resign.
Addressing a press conference at SankhaBhawan, BJD Vice President Shri Pratap Jena stated that this year’s RathYatra witnessed unprecedented disorder and mismanagement — unlike any previous year. The spiritual emotions of millions of devotees who travelled from across the country and abroad to witness the divine Trinity were deeply hurt. The government’s assurance of a flawless RathYatra turned out to be nothing more than an empty promise.
Shri Jena pointed out that the most shocking aspect was that Lord Jagannath’sNandighosha chariot did not move an inch until late evening, a serious breach of tradition. The chariots of Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra too failed to cross the BalagandiChhak. Despite there being no provision to pull chariots after sunset, the chariot of Lord Jagannath was dragged forward by a few feet at 7:45 PM, only to symbolically fulfill ritual protocol — a move that hurt the religious sentiments of devotees.
Tragically, both the Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple and Law Minister Shri PrithvirajHarichandan gave casual remarks, saying “it happened according to the Lord’s will.” BJD strongly condemned such irresponsible statements and reminded the state government that it is their duty to conduct the RathYatra with discipline and dignity.
Shri Jena further said that despite holding valid passes, journalists were denied entry into the cordon zone and were manhandled by police personnel assigned to cordon duty. Nearly 7–8 Seniorjournalists were injured during this incident. According to the media fraternity, such treatment of journalists had never occurred in previous RathYatras.
He also stated that even though a large police presence, devotees were left unsafe during the chariot pulling, and the traffic system completely collapsed. With over 1,000 injuries reported, at least eight individuals were admitted to ICU, and reports of two or more deaths have surfaced. The government must immediately disclose the official number of deceased and injured persons.
BJD further blamed the government’s reckless distribution of record-high cordon passes for the chaos. Approximately 10,000 cordon passes were issued this year, many of which were distributed through party workers. Shockingly, two ministers alone issued 6,000 passes, leading to uncontrolled crowds breaching the cordon, significantly delaying the chariot pulling.
Before the Yatra began, during the Anasara period, there were reports that a fewModakwhich were offeredto the Lord was stolen. Notably, during last year’s RathYatra, Lord Balabhadra’s idol had fallen during the Pahandi ceremony, an incident that emotionally affected devotees worldwide. Till date, no report has been made public to effect even after a year.
Shri Jena reiterated that due to this chaos, the spiritual emotions of millions of devotees were deeply wounded, and the state government has completely failed in its responsibility to conduct a smooth RathYatra.
