Latest news with #AdapaBijePahandi
The Wire
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Opposition Accuses Odisha BJP Govt of Delaying Rath Yatra to Facilitate Adani Family's Participation
Government A political blame game has started over the delay in pulling the chariots on the occasion of the annual Rath Yatra. People gather near the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra during the annual 'Rath Yatra' festival celebration, in Puri. Photo: PTI New Delhi: The opposition has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Odisha of deliberately delaying in pulling the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings in Puri on Friday (June 27) to allow the family of industrialist Gautam Adani to pull the chariots. 'The entire administration was there but watched helplessly as the chariots remained halted. There was much talk about Gautam Adani and his family's visit to participate in the Rath Yatra. Even the chief temple administrator said the chariots might have halted in anticipation of some devotees. Hence, we find it fair to conclude that the delay was orchestrated to facilitate the Adani family's participation,' said Congress leader and former minister Prasad Harichandan, reported The Telegraph. Harichandan called for a judicial inquiry by the sitting district and sessions judge of Puri into the incident. A political blame game has started over the delay in pulling the chariots on the occasion of the annual Rath Yatra. 'We aren't here to point fingers or blame the administration for yesterday's inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosa chariot. But it's impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our State. It's hard to forget how, last year, Lord Balabhadra's idol slipped during the Adapa Bije Pahandi – a moment that left countless devotees shaken,' Bju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo and former Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik posted on X. 'And now this year, we witnessed Nandighosha Ratha still standing at the Singhadwar till 7.45pm, only to move a few metres before the day ended. That understandably has left lakhs of devotees, who came from all over the world to witness this unique event, completely disenchanted and disillusioned. Hundreds of devotees also got injured due to poor crowd management,' he added. The BJD also demanded the resignation of incumbent Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and law minister Prithviraj Harichandan over the mismanagement. BJP leader and minister Harichandan accused the opposition of trying to politicise the issue and said 'god will not forgive them'. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Hans India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Naveen flays delay in pulling chariot
Bhubaneswar: Expressing anguish over the 'terrible mess' in the conduct of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra in Puri this year, Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Saturday prayed to the almighty to forgive those responsible for the development. Patnaik, who is recuperating at a hospital in Mumbai after surgery, in a post on X said: 'We aren't here to point fingers or blame the administration for inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosha (Lord Jagannath's) chariot. But it's impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our State.' Patnaik also mentioned that it is hard to forget how, last year, Lord Balabhadra's idol slipped during the 'Adapa Bije Pahandi' (procession on the way to Shree Gundicha temple), a moment that left countless devotees shaken. 'And now this year, we witnessed Lord Jagannath's chariot standing at the Singhadwar (Lion's Gate of the 12th-century shrine) till 7.45 pm, only to move a few metres before the day ended,' Patnaik said in a long social media post. 'That understandably has left lakhs of devotees, who came from all over the world to witness this unique event, completely disenchanted and disillusioned,' the former chief minister said. Patnaik said hundreds of devotees also got injured due to poor crowd management. '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. I hope it leads to deep introspection by all in government,' he said.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Nothing unusual in Rath continuing for 2nd day: Min
Bhubaneswar: Rath Yatra in Puri turned into a political battleground with the govt and opposition locking horns over the annual event after pulling of chariots was stopped on Friday following massive surge in crowd. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The journey to Gundicha Temple resumed on Saturday. While BJD president and former chief minister called for "deep introspection" by the govt, former Odisha Congress president Prasad Harichandan sought judicial inquiry into the alleged "mismanagement". Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan in turn accused the opposition of politicising the sacred event. "I don't want to speak about people resorting to dirty politics on Mahaprabhu. They have insulted the Lord with so many deviations in the past," Harichandran said, indirectly referring to inadequacies when BJD and Congress governed the state. Defending the delay in the chariots reaching the Gundicha Temple, Prithiviraj said it was nothing unusual. "Most years, the chariots are pulled on the second day as well. There are very few examples of Lord Jagannath's rath reaching the Gundicha Temple on the first day," he said. In contrast, Naveen expressed concern over the event's management. Highlighting past incidents, the former CM pointed to last year's mishap when Lord Balabhadra's idol slipped during the Adapa Bije Pahandi. This year, he noted, "Nandighosh rath (chariot of Lord Jagannath) was still standing at the Singhadwar till 7:45pm, only to move a few metres before the day ended", leaving devotees "disenchanted and disillusioned. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " Calling for introspection, Naveen wrote on X, "May Mahaprabhu Jagannath forgive all those responsible for the terrible mess that has overshadowed this divine festival this year." Pressing for a judicial probe after Niladri Bije, Prasad said the chariots seem to have been halted to accommodate corporate honchos. He also questioned the alleged issue of cordon pass to a woman friend of a blogger, who has come under scanner for suspected ISI links.
The Print
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Patnaik expresses anguish over ‘terrible mess' during Rath Yatra, BJP hits back
'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. 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. Bhubaneswar, Jun 28 (PTI) 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. '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. PTI AAM RG AAM MNB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
As wheels turn, albeit slowly, during Rath Yatra in Puri, BJP govt faces the heat
A delay in pulling the chariot of Lord Jagannath, which only moved a few metres before the day ended, and apparent lapses in crowd management during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri have put the Odisha government in a spot, particularly as it aims to make the event 'incident-free' this year. Despite the administration's claim of conducting all rituals on time on Friday, the three chariots couldn't be pulled even half the distance from Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple, a distance of around 3 km. The chariot of Lord Jagannath, the last to be pulled, moved only a few metres in a ritualistic manner. All three chariots reached Gundicha Temple, the deities' birthplace, on Saturday. Odisha minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the delay was due to an unprecedented turnout of devotees and due to Lord Balabhadra's chariot getting stuck while negotiating. Officials acknowledged the massive surge in devotees hampered the coordination. More than 200 attendees also fell ill due to high humidity and the swelling crowd; most were discharged after primary treatment at first aid centres near the Grand Road and in various hospitals in Puri. The hospitals and first aid centres reported cases of minor injuries, vomiting and fainting. 'There were no reports of casualties, devotees sustaining major injuries or requiring intensive care,' an official said. The opposition stepped up its attack on the BJP government in the state for the 'terrible mess'. The opposition accused the government of issuing excessive cordon passes to the ruling party workers, leading to the chaos. Stating that they don't intend to point fingers or blame the administration for the delay in pulling the Nandighosha chariot, former chief minister and leader of the opposition Naveen Patnaik said it's impossible not to voice their concern and anguish over how things unfolded. 'It's hard to forget how, last year, Lord Balabhadra's idol slipped during the Adapa Bije Pahandi – a moment that left countless devotees shaken. And now this year, we witnessed Nandighosha ratha still standing at the Singhadwar till 7:45 pm, only to move a few metres before the day ended,' wrote Patnaik on X. Patnaik said the delay left the devotees 'disenchanted and disillusioned'. '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. I hope it leads to deep introspection by all in government,' he posted. The Congress also targeted the state government for the 'mismanagement'. Odisha's law minister said there shouldn't be any politics over the issue as 'everything happens as per the Lord's wish'.
