Maha Kumbh management should be handed over to army: Akhilesh Yadav on stampede

Lucknow, Jan 29 (PTI) Opposition leaders in Uttar Pradesh targeted the Adityanath government over the stampede at the Maha Kumbh on Wednesday, with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav demanding that the management of the world's largest religious event should be immediately handed over to the army.

UP Congress president Ajay Rai said the tragic incident highlighted the failure of the state government.

Yadav said that crores of devotees are stuck on the roads leading to Prayagraj in various cities and request people of UP and NGOs to arrange food and water for them.

He demanded that those who claimed "world-class arrangements" in the Maha Kumbh should resign from their posts taking moral responsibility for the stampede.

"In order to re-establish faith in the system among the saint community and devotees who have come to the Maha Kumbh, it is necessary that the administration and management of the Maha Kumbh should be immediately handed over to the army instead of the UP government," the SP chief said on X.

"Now that the truth of the claims of making world class arrangements has come out in front of everyone, those who were claiming and spreading false propaganda about it should resign from their posts taking moral responsibility for the people killed in this accident," he said.

At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in the stampede that broke out at the Maha Kumbh Mela in the early hours of Wednesday.

"The news of casualties of devotees in the mismanagement accident in Maha Kumbh is very sad," Yadav said in another post on X.

He said air ambulances should be deployed to transport those seriously injured and called for "swift arrangements to identify the deceased and return their bodies to their families".

Yadav emphasised the need for enhanced surveillance at the event, particularly through helicopters, to maintain order and security.

He also appealed to devotees to remain patient and calm during this difficult time and asked the government to learn from the incident to improve future arrangements for pilgrims.

The former chief minister said crores of people are stranded on the roads due to the "closure" of Maha Kumbh Mela area, urban areas of Prayagraj, borders of Prayagraj city and roads leading to Prayagraj in various cities.

"Crores of people in lakhs of vehicles are stuck in tens of kilometers long traffic jam. The government should immediately become active by considering it a disaster born out of administrative negligence rather than a normal rescue," Yadav said in a post on X.

Relief in the form of food and water should reach the devotees before sunset and they should be assured that the state government and the central government will make arrangements to take everyone to their destination safely, he said.

Yadav also demanded that all ceremonies, festivities and welcome programs should be cancelled while paying respects to the dead.

He also requested the "kind people" of UP and NGOs to arrange food and water for the devotees stuck in traffic jams in their villages, towns and cities.

"The government should have been prepared for such a big event but neither can the government do so now nor is there any possibility of them doing so. Serving the devotees in such critical situations is no less than the virtue of Maha Kumbh," he said.

"We all should come forward according to our capacity and capability and cooperate peacefully and anonymously in this Maha Yagya of public service," he added.

State Congress president Rai expressed grief over the stampede and said, "The news of many people being killed and injured due to the stampede on Mauni Amavasya in Maha Kumbh is painful." Targeting the state government, he said, "This tragic incident highlights the chaos of this fair and the failures of the Uttar Pradesh government. The Yogi government spent all the money only on its branding and marketing and not on the arrangements for the devotees who came to the Maha Kumbh. This shows the insensitivity of this government." "We were constantly trying to alert about such incidents but the government and administration did not pay heed to it. I have deep condolences for the families of the victims of the accident. We pray for the peace of the souls of the deceased and speedy recovery of the injured," he said in a statement.

"Along with this, we urge the government to arrange for proper compensation for the deceased and free treatment along with compensation to the injured," Rai added.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede in Maha Kumbh. PTI CDN ABN ABN KVK KVK