NEW DELHI: Opposition parties hit out at the Centre and the UP Government over Wednesday’s stampede at the Maha Kumbh, with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi blaming the administration’s focus on VIP movement for the disaster.
Rahul said the authorities must shift their focus to the needs of ordinary devotees. “VIP culture should be curbed, and the government should make better arrangements to meet the needs of common devotees,” he said.
“Half-baked arrangements, VIP movement, paying more attention to self-promotion than management and mismanagement is what is responsible for this. Despite spending thousands of crores of rupees, such arrangements are condemnable,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, posted on X. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav expressed grief over the incident calling out the Adityanath government for poor management. “If you (government) are spending thousands of crores, at least make some proper arrangements,” he said.
“Now that the truth behind the claims of ‘world-class system’ has been exposed, those who were making these claims and spreading false propaganda should take moral responsibility for the people killed in this accident and resign from their posts,” Yadav wrote on X.
Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said “care must be maximal” in such situations. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. My learning from our Gangasagar Mela is that planning and care must be maximal in matters relating to pilgrims’ lives in vast assemblies of people,” Banerjee posted on X.