Puri's Rath Yatra delay makes Patnaik slam 'terrible mess', BJP responds to criticism

'In the past, the BJD government made mistakes and insulted Lord Jagannath. Since 1977, the chariots have always reached the Gundicha Temple on the second day', BJP's Prithiviraj Harichandan said.

Bhubaneswar: A day after Lord Jagannath's chariot failed to reach its destination on time during the Rath Yatra in Puri, political tempers flared in Odisha on Saturday with BJD chief Naveen Patnaik calling the delay a "terrible mess", prompting the ruling BJP to accuse the opposition party of engaging in "vicious politics."

Patnaik, currently recuperating at a Mumbai hospital after surgery, expressed deep anguish over the disruption.

In a social media post, the former chief minister said, "All we can do is pray. May Mahaprabhu Jagannath forgive all those responsible for the terrible mess that has overshadowed this divine festival this year." He stopped short of directly blaming the administration but said it was impossible not to voice concern over how events unfolded.

"But it's impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our state," he said.

"The Nandighosh chariot stood still at the Singhadwar till 7.45 PM, only to move a few metres before the day ended. This has left lakhs of devotees disillusioned," Patnaik wrote.

In his post, Patnaik recalled that it is hard to forget that last year Lord Balabhadra's idol slipped during the 'Adapa Bije Pahandi' (procession on way to Shree Gundicha temple), a moment that left countless devotees shaken.

Responding to Patnaik's remarks, state Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, without naming Patnaik, criticised the BJD for making "political statements while recovering from jaundice," implying that they don’t understand the will of Lord Jagannath.

"In the past, the BJD government made mistakes and insulted Lord Jagannath. Since 1977, the chariots have always reached the Gundicha Temple on the second day," he claimed.

Harichandan also said this year’s Rath Yatra had been "incident-free" and warned, "Those doing politics over the Lord’s festival will face consequences—if not today, then tomorrow." At a press conference, BJD vice-president Pratap Jena demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Law Minister Harichandan, holding them morally responsible for the delay and crowd mismanagement.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and former minister Prasad Harichandan accused the BJP of sidelining experienced officials and letting party leaders handle the Rath Yatra arrangements.

He also raised questions about the alleged influence of industrialist Gautam Adani on the scheduling of the chariot pulling.

"There were reports that Adani was to visit Puri and pull the chariot. Did the government postpone the pulling for his’s visit?” he asked.

Harichandan further cited a remark made by SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee, who reportedly said that perhaps "the Lord chose to stay back as some devotees didn’t arrive." "Who was that comment directed at? Isn’t it a hint toward Adani?" the Congress leader asked.

The Congress also demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged mismanagement, claiming that over 600 devotees were injured or fell ill due to overcrowding.

BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal rejected the opposition’s claims, calling them baseless and politically motivated.

"The Rath Yatra has been conducted transparently and successfully. Congress’s allegations about Adani show their weak mentality," he said.

Biswal also accused the previous BJD government of failing Lord Jagannath during the Nabakalebar festival in 2015.

Meanwhile, after being halted on the night of June 27 due to the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra getting stuck while negotiating a turn, the chariots reached their destination, Gundicha Temple, the deities aunt’s residence around 1.30 pm.