New Delhi: Efforts are afoot to normalise the situation after a stampede broke out at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Wednesday. Cops have also been stationed at seven points on corridor route to regulate the inflow of pilgrims.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath thrice to monitor and review the fallout of the incident. PM Modi took stock of the developments after the incident and urgent support measures. The PM is constantly keeping a tab on the situation and is issuing instructions to bring back normalcy in the situation and provide relief. Union home minister Amit Shah also dialled UP CM Yogi Adityanath and assured him of full support from the Centre.
Top 5 updates after stampede
1. Rapid Action Force personnel deployed to control crowd have been deployed as lakhs of devotees throng Triveni Sangam on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. The Super 20 team, responsible for managing the flow of devotees at the ghats, is requesting pilgrims to leave the ghats after taking their holy bath.
2. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath is constantly monitoring the Kumbh situation in the war room. Senior officials are also present. Vijay Kiran Anand, the District Magistrate of Maha Kumbh Mela, is actively patrolling the Mela area to ensure the safety of devotees, while security forces are working to maintain law and order and provide assistance.
3. The stampede is apparently being attributed to poor crowd management. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav blamed “mismanagement” for the stampede. Taking to X, he wrote, “The news of casualties of devotees in an accident caused by mismanagement in Maha Kumbh is extremely sad. Tributes!” He appealed to the government to send seriously injured people to the nearest best hospitals with the help of air ambulance and provide them immediate medical treatment. Yadav underlined that surveillance should be increased by making good use of helicopters.
“We also appeal to the devotees to exercise restraint and patience in this difficult time and complete their pilgrimage peacefully. The government should learn a lesson from today’s incident and make additional arrangements for the stay, accommodation, food, water and other facilities of the devotees.”
In a post on X, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati wrote, “The stampede at the Sangam site in Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh, in which several devotees lost their lives and many others were injured, is a deeply tragic and concerning incident. In this difficult time, may nature grant the affected individuals the strength to endure this sorrow.”
4. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the devotees to take bath at the ghat near Ganga and not go towards Sangam Nose. He said that many ghats have been built for bathing and urged the people to follow the administration’s instructions, cooperate with them and not pay attention to rumours. Several spiritual leaders have also appealed to the devotees not to insist on bathing at Sangam alone, and take a holy dip at any ghat.
5. ABVP President Ravindra Puri has noted that the Akharas will participate in the Amrit Snan only after 10 am, based on an assessment of the number of devotees at the Sangam Nose.
