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KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that the Maha Kumbh has turned into a “Mrityu Kumbh” due to incidents of stampede, claiming that the actual toll at the mega religious gathering was suppressed by authorities.
At least 30 people died and 60 were injured in a stampede in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj last month, while 18 people lost their lives in a recent stampede at an overcrowded New Delhi railway station.
“They have hidden hundreds of bodies to bring down the toll. The Maha Kumbh has turned into a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ under the BJP rule,” Banerjee said during an address in the state assembly.
Banerjee termed the stampede at the Maha Kumbh “deeply heartbreaking”, and stressed the need for better planning and management at large religious gatherings to ensure public safety.
“The tragic loss of lives in such incidents highlights the importance of careful planning, especially when it comes to the safety of citizens,” she said.
The chief minister also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for creating a hype around the Maha Kumbh “without making proper arrangements”.
“So many people died in the Maha Kumbh (stampede) incident, but they are not releasing the correct death toll. They created such a hype about the event, and yet there were no proper arrangements at the venue,” she said.
Banerjee went on to highlight the plight of Bengal residents who died in the stampede, alleging that their bodies were sent back without proper documentation, making it difficult for families to receive compensation.
“We conducted post-mortems to ensure that their families get the death certificates,” she said.
The chief minister also slammed the “VIP culture” at the Maha Kumbh.
“While I avoided the holy dip to prevent inconvenience to common people, the event saw special treatment for VIPs,” Banerjee noted.
Banerjee also pointed out that despite the stampede incident, no investigation committee has been set up by the Uttar Pradesh government, unlike in Bengal, where probe panels are constituted following such tragedies.
