Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is set to organise a grand roadshow for Maha Kumbh 2025 in Indonesia, a country with 98 percent Muslim population.
The Maha Kumbh is to be held in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26.
In a cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday, the government approved a proposal to organise roadshows in major cities in India and abroad. This apart, approval for purchase of 220 vehicles was also cleared.
Cabinet Minister AK Sharma told mediapersons that roadshows will be organised in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Dehradun, Bhopal, Chandigarh and Patna. This apart, roadshows will also be organised in Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, Mauritius and other countries.
The entire cost of the roadshows will be borne by the Urban Development Department. The government will spend around Rs 20 to 25 lakh for organising a roadshow in a city. FICCI and CII will be made partners in this roadshow.
Purchasing 220 vehicles for Maha Kumbh will involve an expenditure of Rs 27.48 crore. The vehicles that are to be purchased include 40 Mahindra Bolero Neo, 160 Bolero B6 BSVI and 20 buses.
The government's decision to organise a roadshow in Muslim-majority Indonesia has raised questions from Opposition parties. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand said government is spending lavishly in the name of Maha Kumbh in a country where Hindu population is very less.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said that even though Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country, Ramlila is held there and people consider themselves to be descendants of Lord Ram. Therefore, organising a road show will be worthwhile, he said.
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