New Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan has accused the Uttar Pradesh government of contaminating the water at the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. She claimed that bodies of those who died in last month’s stampede were thrown into the river.
Bachchan criticized the Yogi Adityanath-led government for failing to make special arrangements for common people at the religious fair.
“Bodies have been thrown in the river, contaminating the water. The real issues are not being addressed,” she told reporters outside Parliament.
She further alleged that no postmortems were conducted, and the government was covering up the disaster. “They are lying about the number of visitors. There is no explanation for the contaminated water,” she added.
The January 29 stampede at the Sangam Nose claimed 30 lives and injured over 60 people. The tragedy occurred as a massive crowd gathered to take a dip in the river on ‘Mauni Amavasya.’ Police said the stampede began when people broke barricades.
Opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, have demanded a discussion in Parliament. They accused the government of hiding the actual death toll.
A judicial commission is investigating the incident. It has a month to submit its report.
The Maha Kumbh, held every 12 years, began on January 13 and will continue until February 26. The Uttar Pradesh government expects around 40 crore pilgrims to attend the event.
