NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the government was hiding the number of deaths in the stampede at the Kumbh congregation in Prayagraj, and demanded strict action against those trying to cover up the “mis-management” in organising the fair.
Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, Yadav said the government claimed to organise digital Kumbh, but was hiding the digits of the dead.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister demanded that the government call an all party meeting to discuss the arrangements of the Kumbh and hand over disaster management and Lost and Found Centre to the Army.
“The government is continuously reeling out budget numbers, please also give the numbers of those who died in the Kumbh,” Yadav said.
The SP leader also demanded disciplinary action against officers who have tried to cover up the “mis-management” in the arrangements for the Kumbh.
“The figures for the deaths in the Maha Kumbh accident, treatment of injured, availability of medicines, doctors, food, water, transport should be presented in Parliament,” he said.
Yadav said when the stampede broke out, the government asked the seers to postpone the ‘shahi snan’, which is performed at the unique alignment of planets.
“The government ordered seers to put off their ‘shahi snan’ and broke with the traditions of the ‘sanatan dharma’. When there was a hue and cry, the government ordered them to re-commence the ‘shahi snan’, forgetting that the holy bath has to be taken at a specific time or mahurat,” Yadav said.
He claimed the government used JCB machines (earth movers) and tractor trollies to clear the bodies lying around after the stampede.
“People came to earn blessings (punya), but had to leave with the bodies of near and dear ones. The miracle here was that the government found bodies but was refusing to accept the numbers,” Yadav said.
“The government showered petals from helicopter when bodies were lying in the mortuary. What kind of sanatan (timeless) traditions are these? The bodies were lying around, footwear and clothes were strewn all over. JCB machines and tractor trollies were used to throw them away. When this raised a hue and cry, the government rushed to cover-up,” he said.
Yadav claimed the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh even refrained from expressing grief over the incident.
“He expressed grief a good 17 hours after the President and Prime Minister expressed grief over the tragedy,” the SP chief said. PTI
