Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad on Wednesday stirred a controversy after he allegedly called the Mahakumbh mela stampede a “minor incident”. At least 30 people died, while over 60 others were injured in the mishap that occurred on early Wednesday morning in Prayagraj.
The UP minister referred to the incident as a “minor occurrence” given the massive scale of the event and suggested that such incidents are inevitable in large gatherings.
“Jaha itne bade bade ayojan hote hain, toh choti moti kahin koi ghatnayein ho jaati hain,” (in such large gathering, such minor mishaps are inevitable), said Nishad.
Mahakumbh Stampede LIVE: 30 dead, 60 injured; 25 identified, says DIG
Nishad, who is the chief of the Nishad Party and the fisheries minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, called the situation “sad” but emphasised the challenges of managing such a large crowd.
He said Yogi Adityanath was looking into this matter. “One should take a bath wherever one finds space and one should not believe in rumours,” he added.
Asked about Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s allegation of mismanagement in Mahakumbh, the minister replied, he would not want to comment on it.
Mahakumbh stampede kills 30
At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in the pre-dawn stampede on Wednesday at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj here, a top police officer said.
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Twenty-five bodies have been identified, and the rest are yet to be identified, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishna, said at a press conference.
Akhilesh Yadav demands Army control at Mahakumbh
SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday targeted the Yogi Adityanath government over the stampede at the Mahakumbh and demanded that those who claimed “world-class arrangements” in the Mahakumbh should resign from their posts taking moral responsibility.
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“To re-establish faith in the system among the saint community and devotees who have come to the Maha Kumbh, the administration and management of the Maha Kumbh must be immediately handed over to the army instead of the UP government,” he said on X.