DISCLAIMER: In light of Kanpur Police’s clarifications on this case, we are making the necessary changes. This news article was originally based on multiple sources, some of which have also now amended the story after Kanpur Police issued the clarification.
Kanpur Police’s clarification:
दि0 21-03-19 की रात मे पुजारी द्वारा नशे की स्थिति में स्वयं को मंदिर पर सिर पटकने से चोटआयी थी जिन्हे सुबह छुन्ना, सुरेश व रामबाबू द्वारा दवा दिलाने गये थे,लौटते समय रास्ते में झगड़ा हुआ था जिसमे थाना सजेती पर NCR पंजी0 कर धारा 151 CrPCकी कार्यवाही की गयी है।अन्य आरोप असत्य है।
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE KANPUR NAGAR (@kanpurnagarpol) March 25, 2019
Some news reports had alleged that, Noor and Ali, two Samajwadi Party workers along with others brutally attacked a Hindu saint leaving him moribund. The Hindu saint was praising the stellar arrangements made by the Yogi Adityanath government for the Kumbh Mela, which didn’t go down well with the goons. The goons dragged him out of the temple and assaulted the saint till he was unconscious, thinking he was dead, Noor and Ali fled the scene, leaving the saint in a horrendous condition.
Noor and Ali, SP workers alongwith their supporters brutally attack a Hindu saint who was praising CM Yogi Adityanath for arrangements at Kumbha. Ran away from scene after believing him to be dead. Lets see how many media houses cover the story? https://t.co/WRcz2g4STS
— Vikas Saraswat (@VikasSaraswat) March 24, 2019
However, Kanpur Police later issued a statement regarding the incident denying any such attack. According to the statement, the priest in question was inebriated and had fell down and hurt himself.
Kumbh Mela this year saw the best arrangements ever compared to the attempts of previous governments, with improved facilities for the devotees, utilization of data analytics and other high-end crowd management tools were made to streamline the whole event. The stellar preparations of the Kumbh Mela blatantly exposed the shortcomings in the management of the Hindu celebratory ritual by the previous governments, which was not going down well with many opposition leaders.
