Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday hit out at the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government for allegedly lying about the death toll in the January Maha Kumbh stampede. Citing a BBC report, the SP chief took to X to claim that 82 people lost their lives in the stampede that broke out in Prayagraj during Maha Kumbh on January 29.
A stampede broke out on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar, as millions of devotees thronged Maha Kumbh to take a holy dip in the Sangam area. According to official statement, 37 people died in the stampede.
Claiming that the death toll was higher than the official figure of 37, Yadav said that those who provide “false statistics” are not worthy of public trust.
“‘Facts vs truth: 37 vs 82.’ Everyone must watch, listen, understand and share. Investigating the truth is important but spreading it is equally essential,” he said on X
He also alleged that the BJP tried to misled the public and asked the party, its leaders and supporters to introspect. If someone can “lie about death”, one must ask how far they will go to crown themselves rulers of a “false empire”. “The issue goes beyond number fudging, it also includes making false statements on the floor of the House,” Yadav said, referring to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
तथ्य बनाम सत्य : 37 बनाम 82
सब देखें, सुनें, जानें-समझें और साझा करें। सत्य की केवल पड़ताल नहीं, उसका प्रसार भी उतना ही ज़रूरी होता है।
भाजपा आत्म-मंथन करे और भाजपाई भी और साथ ही उनके समर्थक भी कि जो लोग किसी की मृत्यु के लिए झूठ बोल सकते हैं, वो झूठ के किस पाताल-पर्वत पर चढ़कर… pic.twitter.com/7vMg0o8kEo
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 10, 2025
Yadav asked as to why the compensation was given to victims in cash. “What was the source of the cash? Where did the undistributed cash go? Under which rule was cash distribution approved? Who authorised the cash payments? Is there any written order backing the disbursement?” the former chief minister asked.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also cited BBC report and slammed the BJP government for allegedly hiding the actual figure.
