BJP govt should not consider Maha Kumbh as place for self-promotion: Akhilesh

Lucknow: The BJP government should not consider the Maha Kumbh a place for self-promotion but see it with a spirit of service, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday.

He also criticised arrangements at the mela and highlighted problems related to toilets and inconvenience to common people due to the movement of VIPs.

"The BJP government should not consider the Maha Kumbh a place for self-promotion, but should see it with a spirit of service so that the journey of spiritual tourists who come with the desire for peace can be completed peacefully," Yadav said.

He also said that in the Maha Kumbh, the arrangements should be very special and not the people.

In a statement issued by the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Maha Kumbh comes once in 144 years, that too on the banks of Sangam, meaning once in a lifetime at the meeting point of rivers. Whenever the confluence of the triveni of harmony, cordiality and tolerance happens within a person, we all experience Maha Kumbh," he said.

He also criticised VIP treatment for some at the Maha Kumbh, saying arrangements should be very special not people.

"The problems pilgrims face due to the road being made one-way for the arrival of VIPs should not happen. The government should run buses for pick-up and drop. The chaos is not only tiring the devotees but also the officers and employees engaged day and night in the administration and management of Maha Kumbh," he said.

The SP chief said these should not be considered his complaint but suggestions.

"The budget of Maha Kumbh is Rs 10,000 crore. The facilities that should have been there in this budget are not there. The government should provide maximum facilities to the poor people who are coming.

"The public should not face inconvenience during the VIP movement in Maha Kumbh. People have to walk long distances. There is no arrangement of toilets... the toilets that are there should also have water arrangements," he said.