Opposition targets Centre, UP: Mismanagement, VVIP culture led to stampede at Maha Kumbh

“Mismanagement and the administration’s peculiar absorption connected VIP movement, alternatively of communal devotees, are liable for this tragic incident,” helium said.

SP main and erstwhile UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav suggested that the absorption and medication of the Kumbh should beryllium handed implicit to the Army to reconstruct spot among the devotees and the sants. “Those who are making gangly claims of world-class arrangements astatine the Maha Kumbh… should instrumentality motivation work for the deaths and should resign from their positions,” Yadav said, calling for stepped-up surveillance from the air.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge besides blamed “VIP movement”, “half-baked arrangements” and “attention to self-promotion alternatively than absorption and mismanagement” for the incident.

Jagwanti mislaid her parent and sister-in-law successful the stampede connected Wednesday.
(Express photograph by Chitral Khambhati)

UP Congress president Ajay Rai said the authorities authorities was “busy successful taking attraction of VIPs” and “destroyed” the arrangements. “This incidental is simply a nonaccomplishment of the government. The VIP strategy is each around… There are nary arrangements for mean devotees,” Rai said.

Ujjwal Raman Singh, Congress MP from Allahabad, demanded an enquiry led by a sitting justice of the Supreme Court into the incident.

Singh said helium was successful Prayagraj but the medication was not letting him sojourn the hospitals and the country wherever the stampede took place.

“We had expressed the apprehension overmuch earlier that thing could hap due to the fact that of the prevailing VIP culture, VIP movements and incomplete preparations astatine the Kumbh Mela,” Singh said, alleging that the “entire medication is moving to cover-up the incident”.

Ambulances marque mode astatine Maha Kumbh Mela aft a stampede astatine Sangam ghat connected Mauni Amavasya successful Prayagraj connected Wednesday. (Express photograph by Chitral Khambhati)

He claimed that the medication was not letting radical entree the pontoon bridges. “All the pontoon bridges person been closed ever since the visits of the Home Minister and Chief Minister. When I inquired with officials, they said each pontoon bridges volition stay closed until January 30. People are forced to locomotion connected ft up to 20 km,” helium said.

The CPI (M), portion expressing “shock and sorrow” implicit the incidental and deaths, targeted the UP government. “It wholly exposes the mismanagement of the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP authorities contempt incurring immense expenses. We explicit our condolences to the bereaved families,” the enactment said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the Kumbh Mela is not an lawsuit but a substance of faith. “If you telephone crores of people, what are the arrangements? Women are having to slumber connected the streets. During Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure, the arrangements astatine Kumbh were the best. When Union Ministers and VIPs visit, it puts unit connected the strategy and the full metropolis has to beryllium unopen down… the medication is liable for these deaths,” Raut told reporters.

“More than Rs 10,000 crore has been spent. Where did it go? If determination were arrangements, this incidental wouldn’t person happened. The BJP is selling this event,” helium said.

Geeta Shashtri, SP MLA from Soraon, an Assembly constituency northbound of Prayagraj city, said, “We are not allowed to sojourn the spot, the hospitals. The Ganga is astir 4 km from my spot but I americium not allowed to visit. There are CCTVs installed astatine each important locations and the authorities tin investigate.”

Vijama Yadav, SP MLA from Pratappur, said, “A pistillate from my ain constituency has died successful the stampede and I can’t adjacent sojourn her location owed to restrictions connected our movements. The administration’s absorption was connected publicity…There was implicit mismanagement connected the ground. The effect is this tragedy.”

Vachaspati, Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA from Bara, southbound of Prayagraj city, said, “I tally galore colleges and hundreds of teachers are employed there. They were astatine a bhandara we had organised astatine an ashram connected the Kumbh Mela grounds past night, hardly 100 metres from the Sangam. Our teachers rushed backmost without taking a beatified dip and told maine that too the reported deaths, respective were missing and injured. I visited the Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital wherever astir 15 injured were being treated. I could not scope the Sangam due to the fact that we were not allowed. The authorities was precise prompt… What has happened is simply a tragedy.”