Around 56 Crore devotees have taken a holy dip in the biggest confluence of faith, Maha Kumbh 2025 which has been ongoing in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. From billionaires, foreign celebrities, Bollywood celebrities to CEOs, Kalpawasis, Naga Sadhus to devotees have taken the blessings of Maa Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati at the Triveni Sangam. While the unprecedented surge of devotees have pointed towards bottlenecks – roads flooded with private vehicles, jams among others – that needs to be ironed out. However, all of them are proving to be dwarf in front of the faith of the Hindu devotees.
The sound of Har-Har Gange is echoing in the holy land of Prayag. While on one hand devotees are praising the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on the other hand the opposition leaders are constantly attacking Kumbh and Hindu faith. They have been giving insulting remarks, trivialising the Mahakumbh, and mocking the largest Hindu congregations. The latest entry in this list is the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who brazenly went on to dub the Mahakumbh as ‘Mrityun Kumbh’.
Seers registers strong opposition to Mamata Banerjee’s contentious remark on Mahakumbh
During the Budget session in the West Bengal Assembly, CM Mamata Banerjee made controversial remarks while speaking on the stampede incident that took place in Mahakumbh.
She said, “This Maha Kumbh has turned into Mrityun Kumbh. Many people died in the stampede, but nothing is known about them.”
She then went on to allege VIP culture and discrimination in the Mahakumbh stating that tents worth up to Rs 1 lakh are available for VIPs in the Mahakumbh but there is no arrangement for the poor people.
Reacting sharply to her remarks, several Sadhus and Saints opposed her contentious remarks. Slamming Mamata Banerjee, National Secretary of Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani Mahant Jamuna Puri stated that it doesn’t behove her to make such statements. Puri said that Mahakumbh is Amrit Parv and the whole world has seen its divinity and grandeur, such derogatory words should not be used with Mahakumbh.
Also Read: Maha Kumbh 2025: The forgotten contribution of Kumbh in India’s struggle for Independence
Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Arun Giri of Panch Dashnam Awahan Akhara came down heavily on the TMC Supremo. Swami Arun Giri said, “West Bengal is becoming a death state for Hindu Sanatanis, thousands of Sanatanis are being massacred.”
Acharya Giri also launched a scathing attack on Mamata Banerjee over the issue of large scale political violence in the state.
He said, “At the time of elections, lakhs of Hindus have to migrate from West Bengal, in such a situation Mamata Banerjee should worry about her state.”
Lalu on Mahakumbh
Incidentally, Mamata Banerjee is not the only I.N.D.I. alliance leader who has given controversial statements on Mahakumbh 2025. Incidentally, several I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders have not only made contentious remarks on Mahakumbh, but also they have been making deranging attacks on the Mahakumbh, and launching smear campaigns against the largest Hindu religious congregation.
In fact, Former Bihar CM and RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav brazenly dubbed Kumbh as ‘Faltu’ (useless). Speaking with ANI after the stampede at New Delhi railway station, Lalu Yadav said that Kumbh has no meaning and it is useless.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge raises questions on belief system of Hindus
While addressing party’s Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhaan rally in Mhow Madhya Pradesh on 27th January, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge trivialised the Mahakumbh alleging that taking a holy dip will not remove poverty or alleviate hunger.
Kharge’s statement came in connection with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Mahakumbh. In the same program, Kharge added, “When children are dying of hunger, laborers are not getting wages and these people are engaging in competition to take a dip.”
Mahakumbh is not even a word, says Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party (SP) Supremo Akhilesh Yadav visited Prayagraj where he also took a holy dip in the Sangam Triveni. Yet, he has been continuously raising questions on Mahakumbh.
SP Supremo Yadav said that by calling Kumbh as Mahakumbh, BJP is working to glorify itself. Akhilesh did not stop here, he added, “Mahakumbh is not even a word because they had to take out money for the mega event. People were misled that Kumbh is happening after 144 years.”
Jaya Bachchan alleges ‘dead bodies getting disposed in sacred rivers’
While cornering the Yogi government on the stampede, SP Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan launched a deranged attack by brazenly alleging that at present the most contaminated water is in Kumbh.
She said, “After the stampede in Mahakumbh, dead bodies were thrown in the river and this polluted the water. No one is giving any explanation for that.”
She added that the postmortem of the dead bodies was not done and they were thrown directly in the water.
Congress leader compared Kumbh with Haj
Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai had earlier compared Mahakumbh with the Haj pilgrimage of Muslims. Dalwai said that a large number of people go to bathe in the Ganga and there must be dirt, diseases will spread on a large scale due to Kumbh. He said that the arrangements for Kumbh have not been made properly. He said that the kind of arrangements that are made in Hajj are not there in Kumbh.
Afzal Ansari on Mahakumbh
SP MP Afzal Ansari made a contentious remark on Mahakumbh on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti. Afzal said that it seems that heaven will be full and no one will be left in hell. He said that by bathing at the Sangam ghat, a person’s sins will be washed away and this means that the way to go to Baikunth will open ahead.
Regarding the crowd in trains, he said that women and children are scared of traveling in the train. After this statement of Ansari, a case was also registered against him.