Stampede exposes govt’s incompetence: Naveen Patnaik

Puri: TheBJD president, Naveen Patnaik, on Sunday claimed that the stampede near Gundicha temple in Puri exposed the State government’s glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful Rath Yatra for devotees. “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the three devotees who have lost their lives in the tragic stampede at Saradhabali, #Puri and I pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannatha for the swift recovery of the devotees injured in this devastating incident,” Patnaik said in a post on X.

“Today’s stampede, occurring just a day after the abysmal failure of crowd management during the #RathYatra that left hundreds injured, exposes the government’s glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees,” the Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly said.

“Eyewitnesses report that the initial response t