Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited the families affected by the Hathras stampede on Friday and urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to provide fair compensation for the victims.
Rahul Gandhi, who arrived in Hathras early in the morning, met with the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the July 2 tragedy at a religious ‘Satsang’ event of self-styled godman Suraj Pal alias ‘Bhole Baba’ in Fulari village in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, which claimed 121 lives.
On his way to Hathras, the Congress leader also stopped in Aligarh to meet the victims’ families. He expressed his condolences and sought to understand their situation.
“It is a sad incident. Many lives have been lost. I am not approaching this from a political perspective but addressing the deficiencies of the administration. The main priority should be to provide maximum compensation to the poor families affected by this tragedy. I request CM Yogi Adityanath to provide compensation with an open heart,” he said while speaking to the media.
The Congress MP further said that the family members of the deceased informed him there was no police presence at the event, which contributed to the chaos. “If there is a delay in providing compensation, it will not help anyone. I spoke with the families, and they told me there was no police arrangement at the venue. They are in shock, and I wanted to understand their situation,” he said.
Congress leader Kunwar Danish Ali, who accompanied Rahul Gandhi during his visit, described the victims’ stories as heart-wrenching.
“This is a tragic incident. We left at 5.00 am with Rahul Gandhi. The stories from the victims’ families are heartrending. Neither the administration has taken responsibility nor is the government addressing this issue seriously,” Ali said.
One bereaved family member recounted the lack of arrangements for the ‘Satsang’, which led to the stampede. “We told him (Rahul Gandhi) about the lack of arrangements. There were too many people and insufficient management. Rahul Gandhi said he would raise this issue in parliament,” he said.
Another family member described the events of the stampede. “He (Rahul Gandhi) asked us how it happened. I told him that during the Satsang, the Baba asked devotees to touch his feet, causing a rush that led to the stampede. We searched for my mother…there were bodies covered in mud,” she said.
A father who lost his six-year-old son in the stampede shared his grief and said, “Rahul Gandhi assured us of all possible help. I took my son and wife to the Satsang, and after it ended, people rushed to the Baba, causing the stampede. My son and wife were victims of the stampede. My son was later found dead in the field. He was only six years old,” he said.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site of the tragedy and announced a judicial probe into the incident. A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava has been constituted to ensure comprehensiveness of the subject matter and transparency in the inquiry.
The Commission will investigate the stampede incident and submit its report within the next two months.
According to the preliminary report, the stampede occurred when devotees tried to collect soil from the preacher’s feet and were stopped by security personnel, leading to a rush and subsequent chaos.