Magh Mela authority issues notice to SP leader organising Mulayam memorial camp

Prayagraj, Dec 31 (PTI) The Prayagraj Mela Authority has issued a notice to Samajwadi Party leader Sandeep Yadav, who is setting up a camp in the name of the Mulayam Singh Yadav Smriti Seva Sansthan at the upcoming Magh Mela on the banks of the Sangam here, for allegedly organising "political activities" at the site in violation of rules, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the December 29 notice, sadhus and seers staying at the religious fair have raised objections and expressed dissatisfaction over the activities being carried out at the camp.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the authorities of selectively invoking rules. When space was allocated for a camp at the Kumbh Mela, why are questions being raised now for the Magh Mela, he asked.

In its notice to Sandeep Yadav, the Prayagraj Mela Authority sought an explanation from him over alleged preparations for non-religious and political activities on the land allotted to the Mulayam Singh Yadav Smriti Seva Sansthan in violation of the Magh Mela rules.

After submitting his reply to the notice, Sandeep Yadav said preparations for the camp are underway and that senior SP leader and Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey is scheduled to inaugurate it on Thursday.

He rejected allegations of political activities and termed them a reflection of the "frustrated mindset" of the BJP. He claimed that the authority had no evidence to support the charges.

Sandeep Yadav said that during the previous Maha Kumbh, the organisation served milk, lassi, curd and food to lakhs of devotees through community kitchens. The BJP is acting out of fear of defeat in the 2027 assembly elections, he claimed.

In a post on X, Akhilesh Yadav said if space was allotted for the installation of the statue of "Shraddhey Netaji" (Mulayam Singh Yadav) during last year's Maha Kumbh, there was no justification for raising questions during the Magh Mela this year.

He accused the authorities of selectively invoking rules and said those citing regulations in a "misleading" manner should explain under which rule "flattery is baked on the griddle of arrogance fuelled by power".

"The PDA (picchda, Dalit and alpsankhyak) society has been hurt by the move," he claimed.

In January, the Sansthan sparked a controversy during the Kumbh Mela by placing a statue of Mulayam Singh Yadav at its camp in the fair area, with several seers objecting to it.

The statue was inaugurated by Pandey. The move drew criticism from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, with its president Mahant Ravindra Puri saying that Mulayam Singh Yadav was always "anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan". PTI RAJ KIS DIV DIV