Etawah (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 3 : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya criticised Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday for his remarks regarding the stampede at the Maha Kumbh, accusing him of indulging in "cheap politics" over a major religious event.
Maurya said that while everyone is saddened by the incident, the SP supremo's continuous political comments on the Maha Kumbh suggested that his "mental balance has deteriorated" after losing power.
Speaking to ANI, Maurya said, "We are all saddened by the tragic incident that happened in Mahakumbh, but Akhilesh Yadav is continuously commenting and doing politics on a big event like Maha Kumbh. It is very cheap politics to say such things again and again. His mental balance has deteriorated due to being ousted from power, that is why he is saying such things."
The criticism came after Akhilesh Yadav raised concerns over the government's handling of the stampede during the Mauni Amavasya bathing ritual on Wednesday, which resulted in 30 deaths and 60 injuries.
Yadav demanded immediate action and called for the Army's intervention, highlighting the unprecedented denial of Shahi Snan by saints. He also claimed that the death toll had been misreported.
"Maha Kumbh comes after 12 years. For us, the data of people who died in the stampede in Maha Kumbh is more important than the budget data. The government is not able to tell how many people died, went missing or got injured. The death toll that has been given by the government is false. What arrangements have you made? This government says that we are a party of Hindus but they are not able to make arrangements for this biggest festival of Hindus," he said.
"Is this your definition of a Viksit Bharat that people will die in a stampede," Yadav criticised further.
Following the incident, a three-member judicial commission was formed to investigate the stampede and examine its causes. The commission is expected to submit its report within a month.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday slammed the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, Akhilesh Yadav, alleging that in the last two months, all his posts on X were against the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.
"When Ram Lalla was established in Ayodhya after so many years, even then the Samajwadi Party (SP) had opposed it. In the last two months, all the tweets of the SP Chief have been against the Maha Kumbh, the biggest spiritual and cultural event of this century," Adityanath said while addressing a public rally in the Milkipur Assembly constituency.
The stampede occurred as millions of devotees gathered at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers for Mauni Amavasya, which also marked the Second Shahi Snan.
Earlier, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishna, confirmed that at least 30 people had died and 60 had been injured in the tragedy.
In the wake of the incident, authorities in Prayagraj have assured that enhanced arrangements will be made for the Basant Panchami (Third Shahi Snan) on February 3.