During SP rule, CM didn't have time to review Kumbh, made non-Sanatani its in charge: Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday slammed the opposition Samajwadi Party on Monday, saying that during its rule in the state, the chief minister did not have the time to review Kumbh arrangements and "a non-Sanatani was made its in charge".

He was referring to the Kumbh organised in 2013 when Akhilesh Yadav was the chief minister and Mohammad Azam Khan was made in charge of the religious congregation in Prayagraj then.

In his address in the state assembly, Adityanath said, "We have not played with faith like you. In your time, the chief minister did not have time to see and review the event and therefore he appointed a non-Sanatani as the in-charge of Kumbh."

"But here I myself was reviewing Kumbh and am still doing it. This is the reason that whoever went to the Kumbh in 2013 saw chaos, corruption, and pollution. There was no water fit for bathing in the Triveni of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The prime minister of Mauritius is an example of this who refused to take a bath," he said.

Adityanath said this time people are visiting the Maha Kumbh continuously.

"The President, the prime minister and the vice president visited there. The King of Bhutan came, and heads of all other countries of the world -- that is 74 nations -- visited the place. All of them participated in the event and made it successful. For the first time... everyone became a part of this event and made it successful," he added.