Political sparring has erupted over the delay in pulling the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings on Friday, marking the commencement of the annual Rath Yatra in Puri.

While the Opposition accused the BJP government of mishandling the event — resulting in delays and injuries to several devotees — the ruling BJP hit back, alleging the Opposition was trying to gain political mileage from a sacred religious event deeply tied to Odisha’s cultural heritage.

Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik posted on X: “We aren’t here to point fingers or blame the administration for yesterday’s inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosa chariot. But it’s impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our State. It’s hard to forget how, last year, Lord Balabhadra’s idol slipped during the Adapa Bije Pahandi — a moment that left countless devotees shaken.”

Gautam Adani and his family in Puri on Saturday. Picture by Sarat Kumar Patra

He added: “And now this year, we witnessed Nandighosha Ratha still standing at the Singhadwar till 7.45pm, only to move a few metres before the day ended. That understandably has left lakhs of devotees, who came from all over the world to witness this unique event, completely disenchanted and disillusioned. Hundreds of devotees also got injured due to poor crowd management.”

The BJD on Satutrday demanded the resignation of chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and law minister Prithviraj Harichandran over the mismanagement during the Rath Yatra.

On Friday, the Nandighosh chariot of Lord Jagannath was barely pulled 15 metres from the Lion’s Gate of the Shree Jagannath Temple. The Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra and Darpadalana of Devi Subhadra also failed to reach their destination — the Gundicha Temple, located 2.5km from the 12th-century abode of the deities.

On Saturday, all three chariots were successfully pulled to their destination by devotees and police. Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, along with his wife Priti and son Karan, participated in the pulling of the chariots during the morning rituals on Saturday.

The Opposition Congress seized the opportunity to allege that the delay on Friday was deliberate and intended to allow the Adani family to pull the chariots. “The entire administration was there but watched helplessly as the chariots remained halted. There was much talk about Gautam Adani and his family’s visit to participate in the Rath Yatra. Even the chief temple administrator said the chariots might have halted in anticipation of some devotees. Hence, we find it fair to conclude that the delay was orchestrated to facilitate the Adani family’s participation,” alleged Congress leader and former minister Prasad Harichandan.

Addressing a news conference at Congress Bhavan, Harichandan demanded a judicial inquiry by the sitting district and sessions judge of Puri into the incident. He said the probe should begin after Niladri Vije on July 8 and the report submitted within 10 days.

Former minister Bijoy Mohapatra said: “What happened yesterday was shameful. The way the Rath Yatra was conducted speaks volumes about the government’s carelessness. The Yatra, rather than being a spiritual experience for millions, has been turned into a political showcase. Why were over one lakh cordon passes issued?”

In response, Odisha law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said: “The Opposition is trying to politicise the issue, which is unfortunate. God will not forgive them.”