North 24 Parganas (West Bengal), June 29: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said he had spoken with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other senior officials regarding the stampede in Puri, which claimed the lives of three devotees during the Rath Yatra.
Pradhan stated that the Chief Minister has taken responsibility for the incident and assured appropriate action.
"I learned about the incident this morning. I spoke to the Chief Minister and other officials. He has acknowledged the matter publicly on his 'X' handle and assured that necessary steps will be taken," Pradhan told ANI.
Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi addressed the tragedy in a post on social media platform 'X'.
“Due to the intense eagerness among devotees to catch a glimpse of Mahaprabhu at Sharadhabali, a tragic incident occurred as a result of crowding and chaos. On behalf of myself and my government, I sincerely seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones and pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to give them the strength to endure this grief,” he wrote.
Majhi also announced that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the security lapse and that strong action would be taken.
“This kind of negligence is unacceptable. I have ordered an immediate inquiry into the security failures, and those responsible will face exemplary consequences,” he added.
Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan confirmed that the Director General of Police (DGP) has been sent to the site to oversee the situation.
“This is a very unfortunate incident. We are treating it with utmost seriousness. I spoke with the Chief Minister this morning. The DGP is on site, and stringent action is being initiated,” Harichandan said.
(With ANI inputs)
