West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sharply criticized the management of the Maha Kumbh, referring to it as a "Mrityu Kumbh" (Kumbh of Death) following tragic incidents of stampedes at the mega religious event.
She accused the authorities of concealing the actual death toll, claiming that hundreds of bodies had been hidden to downplay the scale of the tragedy.
Banerjee's remarks came after a stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, where 30 people died and over 60 were injured, as well as a separate incident at New Delhi railway station, where 18 lives were lost in a similar incident.
While addressing the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Banerjee held Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accountable for the deaths, accusing his administration of poor crowd management and a lack of proper planning.
She pointed out that while VIPs had special privileges and facilities, the poor were left without essential arrangements.
"The Maha Kumbh has turned into 'Mrityu Kumbh' under the BJP's rule," she declared. She also criticized the disparity between the treatment of the wealthy and ordinary attendees, claiming that VIPs could access tents priced up to Rs 1 lakh, while basic facilities were not provided for the less fortunate.
Banerjee acknowledged that stampedes are not uncommon at large gatherings but questioned the preparedness of the Uttar Pradesh government. "How many people have been rescued? What planning was done?" she asked, demanding accountability for the deaths.
She further claimed that bodies from the Kumbh had been sent to Bengal without post-mortems and with no death certificates, preventing families from receiving compensation.
The first stampede occurred on January 29 at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, when a large crowd gathered at the Sangam. Although unconfirmed reports suggested a second stampede, officials have not verified this. A similar incident occurred on February 15 at New Delhi Railway Station, where 18 people died as a result of overcrowding among those traveling to Prayagraj for the Kumbh.
The West Bengal Chief Minister expressed her respect for the religious significance of the Kumbh but emphasized that the lack of planning and mismanagement had turned the event into a deadly spectacle.
Meanwhile, RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav dismissed the importance of the Kumbh, calling it "useless" after the stampedes took place.
In response to the tragic events at the New Delhi Railway Station, Indian Railways formed a two-member committee to investigate the stampede. The committee began reviewing CCTV footage and gathering evidence as of February 16.