Bhubaneswar: Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka on Monday called for the resignation of chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi as the political blame game intensified over the stampede in Puri on Sunday, which killed three persons. Senior BJD MLA Prasanna Acharya criticised the govt for its casual approach to the sacred event. Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan countered the opposition by pointing out the govt promptly responded to the tragedy and is committed to taking stringent action against whomever is found guilty.Addressing a news conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Ulaka described the Puri stampede as a ‘man-made disaster’ and accused the govt of prioritising VIP movements over the safety of devotees and deities. “Transfer and suspension of some officials is not enough. The CM must resign,” Ulaka said.Ulaka and Congress member Arabinda Das said the BJP govt in Odisha reduced the Rath Yatra of Mahaprabhu Jagannath into a stage-managed political event. They alleged political workers took over the arrangements, pushing the administration to the backseat. Congress members raised suspicion over the exact number of deaths and reiterated their demand for a judicial probe.BJD’s Acharya, who is deputy leader of opposition in the state assembly, said the lack of sincerity on the part of the govt was glaring. “There was a clear lack of coordination among govt agencies and poor supervision by the political leadership. It was an utter and complete failure,” Acharya told media persons, asking the govt to take urgent corrective action. “The govt must conduct a fair probe, make the inquiry report public, and put in place mechanisms to ensure such lapses don’t recur,” he said.Harichandan asked the opposition to refrain from politicising the tragedy. “It was an unfortunate incident. The CM has already apologised before the devotees. Whoever is responsible for the incident will face stringent action,” he said.Pointing out that an administrative inquiry by development commissioner Anu Garg has already been ordered, the minister said the report will come in 30 days. “Steps will be taken to prevent such incidents,” he said.
