Criticism of BJP govt in Odisha for mishaps during temple rituals.

In Bhubaneswar today, both the BJD and Congress parties of Odisha voiced their displeasure with the BJP government's handling of major festivals at the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar. This comes after a recent incident where a servitor fell from a height of 20 feet while carrying the Mahadeep to the top of the 11th-century Lingaraj temple during the Maha Shivratri rituals. Three people were injured in the accident.

Last year in July, a similar mishap occurred during the Rath Yatra festival at the Puri Jagannath temple, where nine servitors were injured when the idol of Lord Balabhadra fell on them. BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty expressed his disappointment, saying, "The mishap at Lingaraj Temple during the lifting of the Mahadeepa is condemnable. The State Government has failed yet again, having already faltered during the Rath Yatra in Puri. There is still no report on how Shri Balabhadra fell during the procession."

Mohanty further accused the state administration of prioritizing VIPs and neglecting the safety measures necessary to avoid such mishaps during festivals. He also pointed out that the government has not yet released its inquiry report on the previous incident at the Puri temple.

Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar Mayor and BJD leader Sulochana Das explained that the servitor's hand slipped due to oil on the stone wall of the Lingaraj Temple while he was climbing. She added that earlier, sand used to be sprinkled on the stone to prevent slipping, but this was not done during the recent incident.

State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das, who recently took charge, also criticized the BJP government for failing to ensure the safety of devotees during important festivals. He demanded a white paper from the government regarding both the incidents that have hurt the religious sentiments of lakhs of devotees.

Das, who visited the injured servitor at the hospital, stated that the people are not satisfied with the government's management of these affairs. The injured servitor, Jogendra Samartha, was admitted to the hospital and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi visited him on Wednesday night.

In response to these accusations, senior BJP MLA Babu Singh urged the opposition leaders to refrain from politicizing the matter. He also pointed out that Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, who is part of the administration, was present at the temple during the Shivratri festival but did not notice any errors.

The injured servitor's son, Ashwini Samartha, shared that there was no sand on the climbing area of the temple where his father slipped and fell. He explained that the ghee drops from the burning torch made the stone slippery, and his father, who has been taking the Mahadeep to the temple top for 25 years, is an expert in climbing the temple.

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