NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday put the “double-engine” Uttar Pradesh government in dock for the Maha Kumbh stampede and accused it of fudging the numbers of people killed.
During his speech in the Lok Sabha, Akhilesh called for an all-party meeting on the incident and demanded the responsibility of Maha Kumbh disaster management and lost and found centre should be given to the Army.
“When it was known that some people had lost their lives, their bodies were lying in the mortuary and in the hospital, then the government filled their government helicopter with flowers and showered flower petals. What kind of Sanatani tradition is this? God knows how many slippers, clothes, and sarees were lying there and they lifted all of them using JCB machines and tractor trolleys. Nobody knows where they were thrown. To hide everything, it is heard that some pressure and some sweeteners are being given so that their news does not come out,” Akhilesh said.
“The figures for the deaths in the Maha Kumbh accident, treatment of injured, availability of medicines, doctors, food, water, transport should be presented in the Parliament. For the Maha Kum tragedy, there should be strict punitive action against those responsible and those who have hidden the truth should be punished. We ask the double-engine government, if there was no guilt, then why were the figures suppressed, hidden and erased? In order to re-instill faith in the system among the saint community and devotees who have come to the Maha Kumbh, it is necessary that the administration and management of the Maha Kumbh should be immediately handed over to the Army instead of the UP government and administration,” he added.
Former UP CM also mocked the Yogi Aditynath-led UP government and said that now not only are engines colliding, but even coaches have started colliding.
“I remember, the biggest investment meet was held in Uttar Pradesh. Not only were investors invited to the investment meet, but many programs of defence expo were also held. Assurances were given that the MoUs worth Rs 40 lakh crores are being done. I want to know from this double-engine government that out of the Rs 40 lakh crores of MoUs that have been done, how much has this government been able to bring on the ground?” he asked.
“Is it not that the double engines of the government are clashing with each other? Now the news we read is that not only engines are colliding, even coaches have started colliding…,” he added.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav also launched an attack on CM Yogi Adityanath of “administrative negligence” in managing the Kumbh Mela and made the shocking claim that “thousands” may have died in the incident at Prayagraj, backing it by the accounts of witnesses.
The opposition united in Parliament on Monday, disrupting proceedings during the Budget Session to demand an urgent discussion on the January 29 stampede, which reportedly claimed 30 lives.
Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav also slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for not releasing an official list of casualties. Addressing a rally in Ayodhya’s Milkipur constituency—set for a bypoll on February 5—he pointed out that while the state regularly announces the number of devotees taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam, it has remained silent on the death toll.
