No VIP movement on day of stampede in Mahakumbh; Opposition parties’ lies fall flat

A tragic stampede broke out at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj in the early hours of 29th January leaving 30 people dead and several others injured. The incident occurred around 2 AM at the Sangam Nose, where millions of devotees had gathered to take a holy dip on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya. The sheer size of the crowd, estimated to be around 8-10 crore people, led to chaos as some devotees attempted to cross barricades, resulting in the unfortunate mishap.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Police officials have assured the public that the situation was quickly brought under control and that injured individuals were being treated in hospitals. However, the opposition and the Islamo-Leftist ecosystem came out to put the blame of the stampede over the ‘VIP culture’ for the tragedy, accusing the government of prioritising high-profile visitors over proper crowd management.

Also Read: How Did the Stampede Occur at Mahakumbh? – DIG Reveals Everything: Traffic Jams in Neighboring States, 70 Million Pilgrims Still in Fairgrounds

Rahul Gandhi criticised the administration for inadequate arrangements, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called out the government for its alleged focus on self-publicity rather than ensuring pilgrims’ safety. But these allegations hold no mole of truth as there was no VIP culture that was followed during the day of the stampede, which was categorically stressed by the UP DIG. 

The Uttar Pradesh government had implemented elaborate security and crowd management measures for the day of Amrit Snan on January 29, Mauni Amavasya.  To ensure smooth movement and prevent incidents like stampedes, the entire Kumbh area in Prayagraj was declared a no-vehicle and no-VIP zone from January 27 to January 30. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna noted that there were no VIP protocol or special passes that were issued on the day of the stampede. 

DIG Mahakumbh Vaibhav Krishna stated that the pressure of the massive crowd caused barricades to collapse, leading to a chaotic rush that trampled devotees waiting for their sacred bath. Emergency services swiftly responded, transporting around 90 injured individuals to hospitals, where 36 people are currently undergoing treatment. Among the deceased, 25 have been identified, including four from Karnataka, one from Assam, and one from Gujarat.