Magh Mela authority issues notice to SP leader organising Mulayam Singh Yadav 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.

In the notice, the Authority sought an explanation over alleged preparations for non-religious and political activities at the land allotted to the institution in violation of Magh Mela rules.

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

Rejecting allegations of political activities, Yadav termed them a reflection of the "frustrated mindset" of the BJP, and claimed that the Mela Authority had no evidence to support the charges.

He said that during the previous Maha Kumbh, the organisation had served milk, lassi, curd and food to lakhs of devotees through community kitchens, and alleged that the BJP was acting out of fear of defeat in the 2027 assembly elections.

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

The statue was inaugurated by Pandey said. The move drew criticism from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. Its president, Mahant Ravindra Puri, had said that Mulayam Singh Yadav had always been "anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan". PTI RAJ KIS RT