Akhilesh Yadav accuses BJP of hiding Kumbh stampede death toll numbers

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “double-engine” government was hiding the number of deaths in the recent stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, demanding strict disciplinary action against those trying to cover up the alleged mis-management in organising the religious fair.

Yadav, who was participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, demanded that an all-party meeting be called to discuss the arrangements at the Maha Kumbh and hand over the disaster management and lost and found centre at the fair 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, stressing that hiding and destroying evidence is also a crime.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also demanded disciplinary action against those who have tried to cover up the “mis-management” in the arrangements for the Kumbh.

“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 during the ongoing Maha Kumbh on January 29 as millions of devotees jostled to find a toehold before taking a dip at the holy Sangam nose on the Mauni Amavasya, considered by many as the most auspicious day of the six-week festival. According to the figures provided by the Uttar Pradesh government, 30 people were killed and 60 others were injured in the tragedy that occurred between 1am and 2am on last Wednesday.

Continuing his attack, the Samajwadi Party chief said the government claimed to organise digital Kumbh, but was hiding the digits of the dead. He said he was told that “for the first time on earth” Kumbh was being organised using digital technology, such as CCTVs, drones and live-streaming.

“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,” Yadav said.

He targeted the BJP government for breaking an age-old tradition of seers taking “shahi snan” (royal bath) at the Sangam at a “mahurat” (specific 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 also alleged the government used JCB machines and tractor-trollies to clear the bodies lying around 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,” Yadav said.

“The government showered petals from helicopter 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 trollies were used to throw them away. When this raised a hue and cry, the government rushed to cover-up,” he allged.

The SP chief also targeted Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, saying: “He expressed grief a good 17 hours after the President and Prime Minister expressed grief over the tragedy.”