Mamata Banerjee dubs Maha Kumbh 'Mrityu Kumbh': 'No arrangements for poor'

Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of 'selling religion to divide the nation' and criticised the lack of planning for the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, holding him responsible for the stampede deaths and alleged mismanagement of crowds at the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. Calling the religious gathering "Mrityu Kumbh" (Kumbh of death), Banerjee slammed the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh for failing to ensure safety, alleging that while VIPs were given special privileges, the poor were denied access to basic facilities.

 

Banerjee did not hold back as she accused the BJP government of "selling religion to divide the nation", blaming a lack of proper planning for the tragic events at the Maha Kumbh.

 

"This is 'Mrityu Kumbh'. I respect Maha Kumbh, and I respect the holy Ganga Maa. But there is no planning. How many people have been rescued? For the rich and VIPs, there are systems in place to get camps [tents] for as much as Rs 1 lakh. But for the poor, there are no arrangements at Kumbh," Banerjee said while addressing the Budget Session of the West Bengal Assembly. 

  While acknowledging that stampedes are common at large gatherings, she questioned the UP administration’s preparedness. "Why did you overhype such a serious event? Proper planning should have been in place. How many commissions have been sent to Kumbh after the incident?" she asked, demanding accountability from the Uttar Pradesh government.

 

The chief minister further alleged that dead bodies from the Kumbh were sent to Bengal without a post-mortem. Slamming the Uttar Pradesh administration, she said, "They will claim people died of heart attacks and deny them compensation." 

 

She added, "We conducted the post-mortem here because you sent the bodies without death certificates. How will these people receive compensation?"

 

The tragedy unfolded on January 29, when at least 30 people lost their lives in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela. The chaos erupted as scores of people gathered to take a dip at the Sangam, which is the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. Unconfirmed reports also suggested a second stampede, though officials have not provided any verification.

 

In a related incident, at least 18 people were crushed to death at New Delhi railway station as a massive crowd rushed to board a train to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela, leading to yet another fatal stampede.