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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has 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. In her statement, Mamata Banerjee said, "This is 'Mrityu Kumbh'...I respect Maha Kumbh, I respect the holy Ganga Maa. But there is no planning...How many people have been recovered?... She further on the disparity in the arrangements made for the rich and the poor saying, "For the rich, the VIP, there are systems available to get camps (tents) for as high as Rs 1 Lakhs. For the poor, there are no arrangements at Kumbh..." Banerjee continued, "Stampede situation is common in a 'mela' but it is important to make arrangements. "What planning did you make?" Meanwhile, former Union Railway Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav responded to a question regarding crowd management for the Maha Kumbh on Sunday, stating, "Kumbh ka kahan koi matlab hai. Faaltu hai kumbh (Kumbh has no meaning. Kumbh is useless)." His reaction came after stampede happened around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, claiming the lives of at least 18 people. After the stampede in Delhi, A two-member committee was formed to investigate the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on February 15. The committee comprised Narsingh Deo, Northern Railway's Principal Chief Commercial Manager (PCCM), and Pankaj Gangwar, its Principal Chief Safety Commissioner (PCSC), the railways said on Sunday. On Debraury 16, the two-member committee formed to investigate the stampede started examining CCTV footage and collecting evidence, an official of the Indian Railways said. (ANI)
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