‘Govt is hiding numbers’: Akhilesh Yadav on Maha Kumbh stampede toll | India News

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of concealing the true number of deaths at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, alleging that officials are withholding information to avoid paying compensation.
Speaking ahead of the Budget Session, Yadav called for transparency, “The government is hiding the number of people who died in Kumbh as they don’t want to pay the compensation. The families of the deceased must be informed at the earliest and a list of all those who lost their lives should be made public.”
The comments come in the wake of a tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh, which claimed at least 30 lives and left 60 injured. The incident occurred early Wednesday morning ahead of the ‘Amrit Snan’ on Mauni Amavasya. A massive influx of pilgrims caused a surge at the sacred Triveni Sangam, resulting in chaos and loss of life.
DIG Kumbh Mela Vaibhav Krishna confirmed the casualties, saying, “Some of the injured were taken away by their relatives, while 36 are receiving treatment at the local medical college. For the convenience of devotees, the Mela administration has issued helpline number 1920”.
Providing details of the tragedy, he added, “Between 1 and 2 am, a huge crowd gathered on the Akhara route, causing the barricades to collapse. As the crowd surged forward, many devotees were trampled. The administration swiftly launched a rescue operation, creating a green corridor for ambulances and transporting 90 injured individuals to hospitals. Unfortunately, 30 lost their lives.”
Eyewitnesses described the horror of the stampede. Sarojini, a devotee from Karnataka, recounted, “We were nine people together when suddenly the crowd started pushing. We got trapped, many of us fell, and everything went out of control. There was no way to escape.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also expressed his condolences on social media, calling the accident “extremely sad.” He assured that the local administration was working to assist the victims and said he had spoken to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about the situation. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the government’s handling of the incident, alleging that real issues were being ignored in Parliament. “They neither discuss real issues nor provide answers,” she remarked.
Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu addressed Parliament and acknowledged the tragedy, expressing her grief over the loss of lives. “The historic Mahakumbh is a festival of India’s cultural identity. I express my condolences and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” she said.