Puri stampede: BJD seeks judicial probe

The BJD alleged that due to the “callous and casual attitude” of the government, three people died and over 750 sustained injuries during the Rath Yatra

- UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Friday demanded a judicial inquiry, monitored by a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court into the stampede during this year's Rath Yatra in Puri that left three people killed and several others injured.

A delegation of senior BJD leaders, including MPs, MLAs, former MPs, and ex-MLAs, met Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and submitted a memorandum seeking his urgent intervention into what they described as “severe mismanagement and serious lapses” during this year’s Puri Rath Yatra, which resulted in a ‘tragedy of historic proportions’.

Drawing the Governor’s attention to the issue, the BJD leaders stated that a series of grave incidents during the Rath Yatra had hurt the sentiments of Lord Jagannath’s devotees worldwide and raised alarming concerns regarding the management of the world-famous festival. The memorandum alleged that due to the “callous and casual attitude” of the BJP-led state government, over 750 devotees sustained injuries, and tragically, three people lost their lives.