‘Faaltu hai Kumbh’: Lalu Yadav’s remark on Delhi stampede sparks row

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad sparked a controversy on Sunday after he called the Maha Kumbh “faaltu (meaningless)”. His remarks came while commenting on the stampede at the New Delhi Railway station, in which 18 people lost their lives and many were left injured as passengers rushed to board trains bound for Prayagraj. When asked to comment on the large crowds heading to the mega religious gathering and suggestions for crowd management, Prasad said, “Kumbh ka kahan koi matlab hai. Faltu hai Kumbh (Is there any meaning to Kumbh?… It is just meaningless).” The RJD chief called the incident an “unfortunate one” and blamed the Railways’ “mismanagement” for it. “The incident is very unfortunate and I offer my condolences to the victims. This is a mismanagement by the Railways that led to the loss of so many lives. The Railway Minister should take responsibility,” Prasad, who is a former Railways minister, said.