Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 21 : Uttar Pradesh Minister Swatantra Dev Singh on Friday lauded the ongoing Maha Kumbh, calling it an "incredible, green, and digital Kumbh" under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He highlighted the massive turnout of devotees taking the holy dip at the sacred event.
"...This is an incredible, green and digital Kumbh... Under the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath and the guidance of PM Modi, Maha Kumbh has witnessed a large number of devotees taking a holy dip here," he told ANI.
Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks on the Maha Kumbh, Singh accused her of being "anti-Hindu" and asserted that leaders with such views were being ousted by the public.
"She has always been anti-Hindu, but people are removing such people from power. Arvind Kejriwal also used to say such things; he has been removed by the people; the same will happen to Mamta Banerjee," he added.
Earlier in the day, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prioritise the cleaning of the Ganga River amid the ongoing Mahakumbh festival.
He said that the number of people coming to Prayagraj also depicts the success of Namami Gange, a project initiated by the Prime Minister. Patil said that even foreigners have expressed their faith by taking a dip in Sangam.
Speaking to ANI, Patil said, "Even foreigners have expressed their faith by taking a dip here at Mahakumbh. PM Narendra Modi prioritised the cleaning of Maa Ganga under the Namami Gange Programme. The number of people coming here to take a holy dip shows that PM Modi's Namami Gange project has been successful."
The six-week festival, which commenced on January 13, will end on February 26.
Devotees continue to arrive in large numbers at Triveni Sangam to take a holy dip.
Ahead of Maha Shivratri, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh said, "Mahakumbh is in its final phase, and the main bath is on February 26, on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, and we have come to review the arrangements. On the instructions of UP CM Yogi Adityanath, we will ensure that people do not face any inconvenience, as a large number of people are expected to come on the occasion of Shivratri and the weekend."