TNI Bureau: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das criticised the management of this year’s Ratha Jatra, calling it another failure of the BJP government. Expressing grief over the death of a devotee during the festival, he urged the state government to strengthen crowd management and ensure the safety of devotees.

In a statement, Bhakta Das alleged that mismanagement and security lapses led to the tragic incident near Marichikot Chhak on the Grand Road. He said Anil Das of Kendujhar district reportedly died after suffering breathlessness in the heavy crowd and collapsing near a police cordon. He was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Puri, where doctors declared him dead. He also claimed that more than 150 devotees were treated at various health centres due to suffocation, crowd-related incidents and other health issues.

The Congress leader said repeated incidents during the world-famous Ratha Jatra are a matter of serious concern. Referring to the 2025 crowd tragedy near the Gundicha Temple, in which three devotees lost their lives and over 50 were injured, he alleged that administrative negligence continues to affect festival management. He also questioned the issuance of a large number of cordon passes and alleged that allowing RSS volunteers into restricted areas contributed to the confusion.

Bhakta further alleged that traditional rituals were not properly followed this year and claimed that Lord Jagannath was taken in Pahandi without the traditional Tahiya. Expressing condolences to the family of the deceased devotee and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, he demanded action against officials responsible for the alleged lapses and called for greater accountability in the conduct of the festival.