New Delhi [India]: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of “suppressing the truth” about the deaths that occurred during the Maha Kumbh earlier this year, alleging that just like during the COVID-19 pandemic, the deaths of the poor were hidden from official records.
“BBC report reveals that figures of deaths in Kumbh Mela stampede were hidden. Like in COVID, the bodies of the poor were erased from the statistics. Like after every major railway accident the truth is suppressed. This is the BJP model – if there is no counting of the poor, then there is no responsibility either!” Gandhi stated in his X post.
As per reports, thirty people lost their lives during a stampede at Maha Kumbh on Mauni Amavasya.
The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier announced financial assistance of ₹25 lakh for the families of the deceased and set up a judicial inquiry into the matter.
In March, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha to a question regarding the number of persons killed and injured during the recent Maha Kumbh Stampede, stated that “No such data is maintained centrally.”
Rai clarified that ‘Public Order’ and ‘Police’ are state subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. He added that the organisation of religious congregations, crowd management, the provision of amenities for devotees, and the prevention of disasters during such events fall under the purview of state authorities.