New Delhi:
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi has taken responsibility for the stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, which claimed three lives and sought forgiveness from devotees. Terming the incident a result of “unforgivable negligence”, he has said a probe has been ordered and he has directed authorities to take exemplary action against those responsible.
The Chief Minister’s post on X came shortly after his predecessor and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik hit out at the state government, saying that eyewitnesses have said there was no government machinery to manage the surging crowd that had gathered this morning outside the Gundicha Temple for a glimpse of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Shubhadra.
In his post on X, the Chief Minister said, “Due to the intense eagerness among devotees to have a glimpse of Mahaprabhu at Sharadhabali, an unfortunate incident occurred because of the resulting jostling and chaos. Personally, I and my government seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of those devotees whose lives were extinguished at Sharadhabali and pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow.”
“This negligence is unforgivable. An immediate investigation into the security lapses will be conducted, and I have directed that necessary steps be taken to initiate exemplary action against those responsible,” he added.
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