The stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri that claimed three lives and left at least 50 injured during the Rath Yatra on Sunday morning has triggered a wave of political reactions, with Opposition leaders terming the incident a “serious warning” and calling for accountability.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and asserted that “protecting lives is paramount”, adding that “any lapse in this responsibility is unacceptable”.

In a post on X, Gandhi conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and urged the Odisha government to expedite relief efforts.

“This tragedy is a serious warning — security arrangements and crowd management for such big events should be taken seriously and must be reviewed,” he said, appealing to Congress workers to support those affected.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge went a step further, squarely blaming “negligence and mismanagement” for the stampede and demanding a thorough probe.

“This tragedy follows reports of 500 devotees being injured on Friday. Those responsible must be held accountable,” he posted, calling the lapses “inexcusable”.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while expressing grief, pointed out that better crowd control measures could have prevented the tragedy.

Speaking from West Bengal, he said he had spoken to chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and was assured that the state administration had taken “responsible” charge of the situation.

Odisha’s titular king and chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb, also broke his silence, urging the state government to launch a comprehensive inquiry and ensure such lapses don’t recur.

"Shocked and deeply saddened," Deb said in a statement, offering prayers for the departed and support for their families.

Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati offered his condolences, praying for swift recovery of the injured and strength for the bereaved.

In a message on X, he said, “May Mahaprabhu Jagannath grant solace to all affected by this tragedy.”

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi issued an emotional apology, seeking forgiveness from devotees and admitting that the “intense eagerness” of pilgrims led to chaos.

Adding to the growing chorus of concern, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose questioned the BJP-led government’s handling of the tragedy. “Terribly sad. Will the @BJP4India government fix accountability and take responsibility?” she posted on X.

Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, in a post on X, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also criticised the government for what he termed as “glaring incompetence” in crowd management during the Rath Yatra.

“Today’s stampede, occurring just a day after the abysmal failure of crowd management that left hundreds injured, exposes the government’s glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees,” he said.

Patnaik claimed that the initial response came from the relatives of the victims, and not from the administration, which he said pointed to a serious lapse in duty. He also criticised the delay in pulling the Nandighosha chariot on Rath Yatra day, calling the explanation of “Mahaprabhu’s wish” a cover for administrative failure.

“While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy,” he said, urging the administration to ensure smooth conduct of upcoming rituals like Adapa Bije, Bahuda, and Suna Besha.

Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu also expressed grief over the incident and extended condolences. “Praying for the speedy recovery of all those injured. May strength and support reach those affected in this difficult time,” he posted on X.

The stampede occurred around 4 am when a heavy surge of devotees near the Gundicha Temple led to panic and collapse.

Officials said six of the injured are in critical condition and receiving treatment in local hospitals.

The Rath Yatra, one of the largest religious gatherings in the country, draws lakhs of devotees to Puri each year.