BJP MP Hema Malini has sparked controversy by downplaying the tragic Mahakumbh stampede that claimed at least 30 lives and left around 60 injured. Speaking to the media, she stated that the incident was being “exaggerated” and praised the Uttar Pradesh government for its handling of the event.
“We went to Kumbh, we had a very nice bath. It is right that an incident took place, but it was not a very big incident. I don’t know how big it was. It is being exaggerated,” Malini said, adding that managing such a massive gathering is difficult but was being done efficiently.
The stampede occurred at the Mahakumbh Mela during the second Shahi Snan on Mouni Amavasya, triggering criticism over the government’s crowd management. Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, have questioned the official handling of the disaster.
Yadav has demanded complete transparency regarding the number of fatalities and the treatment of the injured. He urged the government to disclose accurate figures and suggested an all-party meeting to assess the situation. He also recommended that disaster management at Mahakumbh be handed over to the Army.
Calling for strict action against those responsible, Yadav accused the government of attempting to suppress the true scale of the tragedy. “For the Mahakumbh 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?” he added.
“Log punye kamane aaye the aur apno ke shav lekar gaye hai (People came to earn merit, but they left with the bodies of their loved ones)” the SP Chief said.