Mamata expresses grief over Maha Kumbh stampede

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, expressed her grief over the Maha Kumbh stampede incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

Referring to the arrangements her government makes every year for Gangasagar Mela in Sagar Island, Banerjee, on her social media handle, stated: “…planning and care must be maximal in matters relating to pilgrims’”.

Banerjee, whose government organises Gangasagar Mela every year said that she had learnt from Gangasagar that there should not be any lapses when it comes to hosting such a massive event like Maha Kumbh.

The state government has also decided to send a team to Prayagraj to know the whereabouts of the people of Bengal who are there in Kumbh.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh, which has claimed at least 15 innocent lives. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved pilgrim families. My learning from our Gangasagar Mela is that planning and care must be maximal in matters relating to pilgrims’ lives in vast assemblies of people. Prayers for the departed souls,” Banerjee said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the Bengal government is set to dispatch a team to Prayagraj to oversee the safety of Bengal residents attending the Maha Kumbh.

The Bengal government contacted the Uttar Pradesh government through the Resident Commissioner in Delhi but the Yogi government did not make any communication to the state’s query till late Wednesday evening.

Many pilgrims were feared dead after the stampede occurred at the Sangam Ghat in the early hours of Wednesday.

Tragedy struck the Maha Kumbh between 1.30 am and 3.30 am as the millions of devotees congregated to take a holy dip on the Mauni Amavasya ‘tithi’.

Interestingly, the Bengal Chief Minister has consistently criticised the Centre for not granting Gangasagar Mela the same “National Fair” status as Kumbh Mela. She also argued that this deprives the state of Central financial assistance, which is allocated for Kumbh Mela.

Religious Gurus as well as many political leaders echoed similar concerns about what CM Banerjee had felt.

They argued that large-scale events like the Maha Kumbh require disciplined and efficient handling. They also condemned the Yogi government’s lack of oversight, accusing it of prioritising VIP treatment over essential crowd safety measures, which they say led to the tragic Maha Kumbh stampede.

Mahamandleshwar Premanand Puri, a prominent religious leader, has strongly condemned the authorities in a widely circulated video, alleging that their primary focus was on catering to VIPs rather than ensuring the safety of the millions of devotees present.