Maha Kumbh Stampede: Rahul, Kharge Slam UP Govt For 'Mismanagement', 'Focus On VIP Movement'

Rahul while offering support to affected devotees, asked the Yogi Adityanath government to curb "VIP culture" and make better arrangements to avoid such incidents.

Prayagraj:Congress leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the Uttar Pradesh government's "mismanagement" and "focus on VIP movement" for Wednesday's stampede at the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela in which at least 15 people are feared dead and many more injured.

Gandhi while offering condolences to the families of the deceased, asked the Yogi Adityanath government to curb "VIP culture" and make better arrangements to avoid such incidents.

He also asked Congress workers and leaders to help the affected families. "The news of many people dying and many getting injured due to stampede in Prayagraj Maha Kumbh is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured. Mismanagement and administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident," Rahul said in a post on X.

"There is still a lot of time left for Maha Kumbh, many more Mahasnans are to be held. The government should improve the system to prevent a tragic incident like today. VIP culture should be curbed and the government should make better arrangements to fulfil the needs of common devotees. I request Congress workers and leaders to help the affected families."

The stampede early Wednesday occurred near the crowded Sangam during the Mauni Amavasya holy dip in the early hours of Wednesday. Officials said the mishap was triggered after a barrier broke. In view of the incident, the akharas called off their traditional 'Amrit Snan' for Mauni Amavasya, even as devotees in large numbers continued to take a dip at Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed the government for "half-baked arrangements" and "VIP movement" and said the news of "many people losing their lives" and several others getting injured was extremely heartbreaking. "Our deepest condolences to the families of the devotees and we wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said.

"Half-baked arrangements, VIP movement, paying more attention to self-promotion and mismanagement are responsible for this. Such arrangements despite spending thousands of crores of rupees are condemnable," the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X.

"Many important 'shahi snans' are still left, so the central and state governments should wake up now, and improve the system so that such unpleasant incidents do not happen in future," Kharge said. "The arrangements for accommodation, food, first aid and movement of devotees etc. should be expanded and VIP movement should be reined in. This is what our saints and sages also want," he said. Kharge urged Congress workers to help the victims in every possible way.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, "The death of many devotees in the stampede during Kumbh bath in Prayagraj is very saddening. The kind of crowd that was there and the half-baked arrangements that were put in place, there was always a danger of such an accident happening," Khera said.

Many 'maha snans' are still left, so it is necessary that additional security forces be sent there and the responsibility of management be given to some other better administrator than Yogi Adityanath, Khera said and demanded that the movement of VVIPs be stopped.

Very sad: Akhilesh Yadav on Maha Kumbh stampede

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also expressed grief over the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela and underlined the need for enhanced surveillance at the event.

"The news of casualties of devotees in the mismanagement accident in Maha Kumbh is very sad," Yadav said in a post on X. The former chief minister called on the Uttar Pradesh government to take immediate action to support the injured and prevent further chaos.

He said air ambulances should be deployed to transport those seriously injured and called for "swift arrangements to identify the deceased and return their bodies to their families". Yadav emphasised the need for enhanced surveillance at the event, particularly through helicopters, to maintain order and security.

He also appealed to devotees to remain patient and calm during this difficult time and asked the government to learn from the incident to improve future arrangements for pilgrims.

The Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya is the most significant ritual of the Maha Kumbh and is expected to draw around 10 crore pilgrims. This year, a rare celestial alignment called 'Triveni Yog' is occurring after 144 years, amplifying the spiritual significance of the day.

Around 2 am, the blaring sirens of ambulances and police vehicles rushing to the Sangam pierced through the continuous chants of mantras and shlokas echoing from loudspeakers across the Kumbh Mela area. Those injured were taken to the central hospital established in the Mela area. Relatives of many injured also reached there, as did some senior administrative and police officials.

The Triveni Sangam -- confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati -- is considered the holiest by Hindus, with a belief that taking a dip in it during Maha Kumbh and particularly on special bathing dates like Mauni Amavasya washes away people's sins and provides them 'moksha' or salvation. (Agency inputs)