Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic stampede that occurred during the Rath Yatra in Puri, calling it a “serious warning” for managing large-scale religious events.
In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi described the incident as “extremely tragic” and extended his condolences to the bereaved families while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
“This tragedy is a serious warning — for such large events, security arrangements and crowd management preparations must be taken seriously and thoroughly reviewed. Protecting lives is paramount, and no lapses in this responsibility are acceptable,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi also urged the Odisha Government to expedite relief operations and called upon Congress workers in the state to assist affected families in every possible way.
“I appeal to the Odisha government to expedite relief efforts and urge Congress workers to provide every possible assistance in this regard,” he added.
The stampede, which took place early Sunday near the Gundicha Temple, led to the death of three devotees due to suffocation, while six to seven others sustained injuries amid a massive crowd gathered to witness the chariot procession of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has apologised to devotees and announced a ₹25 lakh ex-gratia for each of the deceased’s families. He also ordered an administrative inquiry, the transfer of senior district officials, and suspension of two officers for alleged negligence.
Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan confirmed that the state DGP has been dispatched to Puri and that crowd management measures are being tightened to avoid further incidents. The situation has since been brought under control, with devotees continuing to offer darshan.
The annual Rath Yatra in Puri draws lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad. This year’s procession began on Friday, and the deities are to remain at the Gundicha Temple for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple.
