BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal and Swami Chidanand Saraswati Condemn Mamata's 'Mrityu Kumbh' remark

Praveen Khandelwal expressed his disapproval, calling it "an extremely shameful statement by Mamata Banerjee."

He emphasized the scale and significance of the Maha Kumbh, stating, "The Maha Kumbh has seen nearly 52-53 crore people taking a dip in faith and belief, and this flow hasn't stopped yet. By the 26th, until the Maha Kumbh ends, millions more will take part in this bath of faith and belief. It is the largest human gathering in the world, and if the arrangements weren't good, fifty to fifty-five crore people wouldn't gather there. A city like Prayagraj, which is not very large, still hosted such a massive crowd. This sends a huge message, not just to India, but to the entire world. People from foreign countries have also come. If Mamata ji thinks this is not the Maha Kumbh, and the words she is using, they are indirectly undermining the country's 'Sanatan'."

Swami Chidanand Saraswati also responded, calling the occasion an "Amrit Kumbh".

He said, "More than 50cr people have taken a holy dip in Maha Kumbh... This is not a 'Mrityu Kumbh', this is 'Amrit Kumbh'... this is 'Mahan Kumbh'... which has created a history... There was one ghat, and a large number of Santanis were taking a holy dip... Everyone was together chanting 'Har har Mahadev'... so many people came, but no one slept hungry or created any mascara... It is high time now we all should see India as India..."

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had raised serious concerns over the management of Maha Kumbh 2025, calling the event "Mrityu Kumbh" due to what she described as a lack of proper planning.

The West Bengal CM, who was addressing the Legislative Assembly, expressed her respect for the holy Ganga Maa and the significance of the Maha Kumbh, but strongly criticized the organizers for the inadequate arrangements resulting in stampedes on January 29 in Prayagraj and February 15 in New Delhi Railway station. (ANI)