Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 23 : Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Uttar Pradesh government alleging mishandling of the Maha Kumbh Mela and accusing it of failing to account for missing devotees and misleading the public about casualties.
Speaking to media after an event, Akhilesh Yadav said, "...In a holy event like Maha Kumbh, the government neither wants to compensate the devotees who have died or are missing nor does it want to find them... The path of truth and religion is Sanatan, but they (the state government) are lying about the death or missing of devotees... It was propagated that this was a digital Maha Kumbh. If it was so, then where did the drones and CCTV go from there (in the Maha Kumbh Mela area)?"
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for implementing the Namami Gange project successfully, saying that the success of Mahakumbh 2025 validates the initiative's impact.
He said that the program has restored the continuous and pure flow of the Ganga River, allowing aquatic life to thrive once again.
The Namami Gange program, launched in 2014, aims to reduce pollution and rejuvenate the Ganga.
Under this initiative, significant improvements have been observed in Uttar Pradesh.
"With Namami Gange, the PM has once again offered a clean Ganga to the nation. The Ganga Action Plan came into effect in 1996, but by 2014, Ganga had become more polluted. Pollution levels reached an extent that aquatic life was destroyed. But now, the success of Mahakumbh validates the success of Namami Gange. Aquatic life has revived in Ganga; dolphins can be seen. This shows our respect for our heritage," said CM Yogi while participating in a special program at the Bithoor Mahotsav in Kanpur.
Earlier, PM Modi also commended the successful organisation of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, attributing its success to the dedication of the public, administration, and devotees across the country and highlighting the collective efforts that contributed to the grand event.