Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “double-engine” government of concealing the actual number of deaths in the recent stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. He demanded strict disciplinary action against those attempting to cover up the alleged mismanagement in organizing the religious fair.
Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, Yadav called for an all-party meeting to discuss the arrangements at the Maha Kumbh and suggested that disaster management and the lost and found center at the fair be handed over to the army.
“At a time when the government is continuously reeling out the budget numbers, I urge them to first give the numbers of those who died in the Maha Kumbh. For an explanation on the arrangements at Kumbh, I demand that an all-party meeting be called. If there is no criminal intent, why is the data being suppressed, hidden, and deleted?” Yadav said, emphasizing that suppressing and destroying evidence is also a crime.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also called for disciplinary action against those who attempted to cover up the “mismanagement” of the Kumbh arrangements.
“The figures for the deaths in the Maha Kumbh stampede, treatment of injured, availability of medicines, doctors, food, water, transport should be presented in Parliament,” he said.
A pre-dawn stampede occurred on January 29 during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, as millions of devotees jostled for space before taking a dip at the holy Sangam on Mauni Amavasya, considered one of the most auspicious days of the six-week festival. According to the Uttar Pradesh government, 30 people were killed and 60 others were injured in the tragedy, which took place between 1 am and 2 am on Wednesday.
Continuing his attack, Yadav criticized the government for claiming to organize a “digital Kumbh” while allegedly failing to disclose the number of deaths.
“Those who guaranteed a digital Kumbh are unable to give the digits of the people who died during the stampede. On one side, these people don’t get tired ranting digital, digital, digital, but the same government is not able to give digits of the deaths,” he said.
He also accused the BJP government of breaking an age-old tradition by disrupting the seers’ “shahi snan” (royal bath) at the Sangam, which was supposed to take place at a specific “mahurat” (auspicious time).
“After the stampede, the government ordered seers to put off their shahi snan and broke with the traditions of the Sanatan dharma. When there was a hue and cry, the government ordered them to re-commence the shahi snan, forgetting that the holy bath has to be taken,” Yadav said.
He further alleged that authorities used JCB machines and tractor-trolleys to clear away bodies after the stampede.
“People came to earn blessings (punya), but had to leave with the bodies of near and dear ones. The miracle here was that the government found bodies but was refusing to accept the numbers,” he said.
“The government showered petals from helicopters when bodies were lying in the mortuary. What kind of Sanatan traditions are these? The bodies were lying around, footwear and clothes were strewn all over. JCB machines and tractor trolleys were used to throw them away. When this raised a hue and cry, the government rushed to cover up,” he alleged.
Yadav also took a dig at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, stating, “He expressed grief a good 17 hours after the President and Prime Minister expressed grief over the tragedy.”