Rahul Gandhi on Odisha Stampede: "Protecting Lives Is Paramount, No Lapses in Responsibility Are Acceptable"

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday expressed deep sorrow over the stampede that occurred near the Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri during the Rath Yatra, calling the tragedy a serious warning on the need for strict crowd control and security arrangements. At least three devotees, including two women, lost their lives and around 50 others sustained injuries in the incident, which took place early Sunday around 4 a.m. The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu, 36, from Bolagarh, Premakant Mohanty, 80, and Pravati Das, 42, both from Balipatna.

पुरी में रथ यात्रा के दौरान हुई भगदड़ की घटना अत्यंत दुखद है। शोक संतप्त परिवारों के प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदना और घायल श्रद्धालुओं के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की आशा करता हूं।

ओडिशा सरकार से अपील है कि राहत कार्यों में तेजी लाए और कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ताओं से आग्रह है कि वो इसमें हर संभव मदद…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 29, 2025

In a post in Hindi on social media platform X, Gandhi said, “The stampede incident during the Rath Yatra in Puri is extremely tragic. I express my deep condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured devotees.”

Read Also | Puri Temple Stampede: Odisha CM Suspends Two Senior Cops, Transfers Collector and SP

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the Odisha government must expedite relief operations and called on Congress workers to assist in every possible way.

“This tragedy is a serious warning – for such large events, security arrangements and crowd management preparations must be taken seriously and thoroughly reviewed. Protecting lives is paramount, and no lapses in this responsibility are acceptable.”

According to the reports, the chaos began when two trucks carrying ritual materials entered a heavily crowded area near the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. Devotees had gathered in large numbers since early morning to witness the removal of the 'Pahuda' cloth covering the faces of the deities as part of the rituals.

Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain reportedly said the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital. The condition of six persons is reported to be critical.