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In a veiled attack against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Parmarth Niketan Ashram President Swami Chidanand Saraswati on Sunday said that Kumbh was not "faltu" (worthless) but it was about faith.
Swami Chidanand said that a change of perception was required to understand Kumbh. Taking a dig at Yadav, he added that crores of rupees are spent in (election) campaigns, yet people don't attend the gatherings. "I wonder what country we live in? We live in India, and you say that Kumbh has no meaning...Something seems insignificant only when we lack personal consideration for it. Kumbh is not 'faltu (worthless); Kumbh is about faith. You (Lalu Prasad Yadav) spend crores during campaigning, yet people don't attend the gatherings. The number of people who have already taken the holy dip exceeds the population of 124 countries, and you say it has no meaning. We need to change our perception to understand Kumbh," Saraswati told ANI. His comments were made in response to former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's recent statement that Kumbh holds "no meaning" and is "useless." When asked about his suggestion regarding crowd management for the Mahakumbh, Yadav said, "Kumbh ka kahan koi matlab hai. Faaltu hai kumbh (Kumbh has no meaning. Kumbh is useless)." Yadav was speaking on the stampede that occurred last night at the New Delhi railway station, where 18 people, including three children, lost their lives. He said that the Railway's mismanagement led to the stampede. "The incident is very unfortunate, and I offer my condolences to the victims. This is a mismanagement by the Railway that led to the loss of so many lives. The Railway Minister should take responsibility," the RJD chief told ANI. Meanwhile, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari praised the arrangements at Mahakumbh after reaching Prayagraj airport on Sunday. The ongoing Maha Kumbh has witnessed over 3.75 million pilgrims taking holy dip in the Sangam until 8 am on February 16, officials said. According to the Uttar Pradesh administration, the Maha Kumbh has become the first event in the world to have more than 500 million direct participants. The local administration reported that 17 million devotees took a dip on Paush Purnima, followed by 35 million on Makar Sankranti, 76.4 million on Mauni Amavasya, 25.7 million on Basant Panchami, and 14 million on Magh Purnima. (ANI)
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