Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav continued his criticism of the Uttar Pradesh government over the deadly Mahakumbh stampede, accusing them of allowing the tragedy to occur and now trying to suppress the actual death toll. Speaking to the media, Yadav questioned the lack of transparency from the Central government regarding the number of casualties in the stampede that occurred on January 29, 2025, during the MahaKumbh in Prayagraj.
“If there was such a massive gathering, why wasn’t space provided at Army premises for better management? The government allowed this incident to happen, and now they’re refusing to reveal the actual numbers. If anyone attempts to disclose the details, an FIR will be filed against them,” Yadav stated, asserting that the government was deliberately hiding the facts.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister further claimed that the government was aware of the timing of the incident and the scale of the tragedy. “The government knows exactly when the incident took place. If it happened at 1 AM and ambulances kept arriving until 11 AM, imagine how many lives were lost. Many devotees couldn’t even take a holy dip and had to leave. Is this the kind of infrastructure they are building? CM Yogi Adityanath claimed arrangements were made for 100 crore people, yet now they’re calling it a conspiracy. Those officials claiming a conspiracy should be dismissed by the Central government,” Yadav added.
Earlier in the day, while speaking in the Lok Sabha, Yadav demanded clarity and transparency from the government regarding the casualties at the Mahakumbh stampede. He urged the authorities to release accurate figures on the deaths, the treatment of the injured, and the arrangements made for the event.
During the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Yadav called for an all-party meeting to address the situation and suggested that disaster management and the lost-and-found center be handed over to the Army for better control.
Yadav also emphasized the need for strict action against those responsible for the tragedy and those who attempted to conceal the truth. “For this Mahakumbh tragedy, strict action must be taken against the culprits, and those who hid the facts should be punished. If there was no guilt, why were the figures suppressed, hidden, and erased?” Yadav questioned.
He further criticized the government by saying, “Log punye kamane aaye the aur apno ke shav lekar gaye hai” (People came to earn merit, but they left with the bodies of their loved ones).
The stampede occurred during the second Shahi Snan on Mouni Amawasya at the Mahakumbh Mela. The Uttar Pradesh government has reported at least 30 deaths and around 60 injuries. Opposition leaders have raised concerns about the government’s response to the stampede during the Mauni Amavasya bathing ritual.
