Opposition demands "accountability," accuses govt of "mismanagement" over Mahakumbh stampede

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha demanded accountability from the government and said that the incident is a matter of concern and the entire country is worried about the loss of lives in the incident.

"The matter of concern is that the entire country is worried about the people who have lost their lives...Kumbh used to take place even before them and Kumbh will take place even after them. Kumbh is a thing of continuity but political party is not...People want accountability...This should be discussed in the House," Jha told reporters.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari questioned why the government is not releasing the list of 30 persons who were killed in the incident.

"...We walked out of the House for an hour. We will go back again and raise this issue. We are getting calls, people are crying, they are not able to meet their families. We want to know why the list of the 30 deceased persons has not been released...Our notices are being rejected continuously and the reason for it is also not known..." Tiwari said.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav blamed the government stating that the incident took place because of the mismanagement of the administration.

"...The incident took place because of the mismanagement of the administration. The eyewitnesses say that thousands were killed in the stampede...Families are not getting bodies, no action has been taken against the officials...We have given notices here but they have been rejected..."

As the ruckus was erupted in the Lok Sabha also, Congress Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi claimed that the government is trying to "hide" the answers and the incident is a very serious subject to investigation.

Gogoi said, "Today the opposition demanded only one thing, that the government answer on the atrocities committed with the tourists and death of people at Maha Kumbh... The government is trying to hide the answers... The topic of Maha Kumbh is very serious and should be subjected to investigation and lapses by the Uttar Pradesh government should be revealed... We gave motion in urgent, but the speaker neglected it..."

A political uproar erupted in both the Lower House and Upper House of the Parliament disrupting the proceedings on the second day of the Budget Session.

Opposition MPs were continuously raising slogans against the government over the issue of the Mahakumbh stampede incident.

Slamming the opposition members, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, "People of India elected you as MPs not for breaking tables, for sloganeering and disturbing House proceedings, but to hold discussions."

During the Question Hour, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla questioned the Opposition members saying, "Have the people of India elected you as MPs for sloganeering and disturbing House proceedings?"

Meanwhile, the proceedings for the Day 2 has also began in the Rajya Sabha. During the proceedings, entire opposition party MPs walked out from Rajya Sabha over the issue of Mahakumbh stampede incident.

A stampede incident occurred at the Mahakumbh Mela on the second Shahi Snan on the occasion of Mouni Amawasya which claimed at least 30 lives and around 60 individuals were injured in the incident.

Several opposition leaders had raised their concerns over the government's handling of the stampede during the Mauni Amavasya bathing ritual.

However, following the incident, a three-member judicial commission was formed to investigate the stampede that occurred during the Mauni Amavasya bathing ritual. The commission has been tasked with examining the causes and circumstances that led to the stampede and will also provide recommendations to prevent such incidents in future.

The investigation report must be submitted within one month of the commission's formation.

The budget session of the Parliament commenced on Friday (January 31) with the joint address of President Droupadi Murmu.

The first part of the Budget session will continue till February 13 and the two Houses will again meet on March 10 after recess with the session concluding on April 4. (ANI)