Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has strongly responded to the comments made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela. Banerjee had criticized the incident, labeling the event as a 'Mrityu Kumbh' or 'death' Kumbh, following the deaths of 30 people.
In his address to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, a visibly upset Yogi Adityanath defended the Kumbh, mentioning that over 56 crore devotees had participated by taking a holy dip at the 'sangam'. He accused Banerjee of spreading unfounded allegations that undermine the faith of millions. Adityanath expressed his condolences to the families affected by the stampede and accidents on January 29, emphasizing that the government would support them in every possible way. He questioned the politicization of the tragedy and praised the global participation in the event, despite negative campaigns.
Supporting Adityanath, Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal accused Banerjee of engaging in appeasement politics, criticizing her remarks as an atheist's perspective.
Backing from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav aligned with Banerjee's criticism, as he pointed out the loss of life from various states and questioned the arrangement deficiencies at the event.
Unexpectedly, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the 46th Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth, echoed Banerjee’s criticism, highlighting poor planning by the organizers and calling for accountability.
Banerjee's fiery critique in the Bengal Assembly centered on the accidents at the Kumbh, stressing that better planning was crucial, especially when bodies remained unrecovered. She highlighted the disparity in facilities available to the wealthy compared to ordinary attendees.
The exchange between Banerjee and the BJP has intensified in light of upcoming elections in Bengal. The confrontations follow past electoral losses suffered by the BJP to Banerjee’s party, further fueling political tensions.
The Maha Kumbh stampede on January 29 resulted in the deaths of 30 people, many of whom were women and children. Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav has consistently demanded an official list of the deceased and accountability for the incident, criticizing the organization’s traffic management amid reports of massive jams.
Despite the criticism, the UP government and BJP have praised the event's overall execution, promoting it as a successful instance of hosting the world’s largest religious gathering.