New Delhi: A three-member judicial commission, established by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the tragic stampede at the Prayagraj Mahakumbh Mela on January 29th, is appealing to the public for information. The incident initially reported as resulting in 30 deaths and 60 injuries, has been shrouded in controversy due to conflicting reports regarding the actual number of casualties.
The commission, chaired by retired Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Harsh Kumar and including retired IAS officer Dinesh Kumar Singh and retired IPS officer VK Gupta, has urged people with relevant information to submit their statements within ten days. Submissions can be made in person at Room No. 108, Vikas Bhavan, Lucknow; via email to mahakumbhcommission@gmail.com; or by phone at 0522-2613568.
The official death toll of 30, initially reported by Mahakumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna, has been disputed by several sources. Newslaundry’s four-day investigation in Prayagraj hospitals suggested a significantly higher death toll, possibly closer to 79.
Adding to the controversy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has declared the stampede a “conspiracy” and vowed to take “strictest possible action” against those responsible, once identified by the government-appointed inquiry commission and police. He also dismissed as “false and anti-Sanatan” the statements made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Parliament regarding the incident.
CM Adityanath further asserted that individuals attempting to defame the Maha Kumbh are spreading misinformation, alleging these actions are motivated by political agendas. His remarks were made during a visit to the Maha Kumbh with Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. “While the country and the world take pride in witnessing the grand celebration of the Sanatan Dharma, those who have got ‘supari’ to defame Sanatan are planting new stories of deceit about the Maha Kumbh on a daily basis,” he said.
