SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accuses UP govt of hiding Maha Kumbh stampede deaths and demands action for mismanagement
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Tuesday that the Uttar Pradesh government is hiding the number of deaths in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh congregation in Prayagraj and demanded strict action against those trying to cover up "mismanagement" in organising the fair.
Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha, Mr Yadav said that the government claims to have organised "digital Kumbh" but is hiding the digits of the dead.
The SP chief demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government call an all-party meeting to discuss the arrangements of the Maha Kumbh and hand over disaster management and the "lost and found centre" to the Army.
"The government is continuously reeling out the Budget numbers… Please also give the numbers of those who died in the Maha Kumbh," he said.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also demanded disciplinary action against officers who have tried to cover up the "mismanagement" in the arrangements for the Kumbh.
"The figures for the deaths in the Maha Kumbh accident, treatment of injured, availability of medicines, doctors, food, water and transport should be presented in Parliament," he said.
Mr Yadav further stated that when the stampede broke out, the government asked the seers to postpone the "shahi snan", which is performed at the unique alignment of planets.
"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 recommence the shahi snan, forgetting that the holy bath has to be taken at a specific time or mahurat," he said and alleged that the government used JCB (earth movers) machines and tractor trolleys to clear the bodies lying around after the stampede.
Mr Yadav claimed that people came to earn punya (blessings) but had to leave with the bodies of near and dear ones. He said that the government found bodies but is refusing to accept the numbers.
"The government showered petals from helicopters when bodies were lying in the mortuary. What kind of sanatan (timeless) 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 led to a hue and cry, the government rushed to cover it up," he said.
Mr Yadav further claimed the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh even refrained from expressing grief over the incident.
"The Uttar Pradesh CM expressed grief 17 hours after the President and the Prime Minister expressed grief over the tragedy," he added.
