Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on Monday (February 3) alleged that the water at the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj was contaminated due to the bodies of those who died in last month’s stampede being thrown into the river. She accused the Yogi Adityanath-led state government of failing to make proper arrangements for common people visiting the event.
“Where is the water most contaminated right now? It’s in Kumbh. Bodies have been thrown in the river because of which the water has been contaminated. The real issues are not being addressed. The common people visiting Kumbh are not receiving any special treatment and there is no arrangement for them,” Bachchan told reporters outside Parliament.
She also claimed that no post-mortem was conducted on the bodies of the victims and described the response to the stampede, which claimed 30 lives on January 29 and injured 60 others, as a “complete eyewash.”
“This same water is reaching the people there. They (BJP-led government) are not giving any explanation on this and a complete eyewash is being done,” she said.
“They are giving speeches on water and Jal Shakti. They are lying that crores of people have visited the place. How can such a large number of people gather in that place at any given point?” she added.
Opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, have also accused the Uttar Pradesh government of concealing the actual death toll from the stampede and have demanded a debate in Parliament.
Maha Kumbh Stampede
The stampede occurred at around 1:30 am on January 29 when thousands of devotees gathered to take a dip at Sangam Nose – a strip of land at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. A bath at this confluence on ‘Mauni Amavasya’ is considered highly auspicious.
The state government confirmed 30 deaths and over 60 injuries only 18 hours after the incident, leading opposition leaders to accuse the government of hiding the true extent of the tragedy. Police reports indicated that the stampede occurred when the crowd surged past barricades, crushing people who were waiting on the other side.
On January 31, a three-member judicial commission set up by the state government visited the incident site. The panel has been given a month to complete its investigation and submit a report.
The Maha Kumbh, held once every 12 years, began on January 13 and will run until February 26. The Uttar Pradesh government expects around 40 crore pilgrims to attend the world’s largest spiritual gathering.