The Congress has strongly criticised the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government over the stampede at the Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh.
Rahul Gandhi attributed the incident to “mismanagement” and the administration’s “special focus on VIP movement” instead of ensuring the safety of common devotees.
The stampede, which occurred on Wednesday amid millions of pilgrims attending the Mauni Amavasya, resulted in multiple casualties.
While the exact number of fatalities and injuries is still being ascertained, the incident has raised serious concerns over the management of the religious gathering.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his heartbreak at the news of "many people losing their lives" and called for urgent improvements in the arrangements.
"Half-baked arrangements, VIP movement, paying more attention to self-promotion and mismanagement are responsible for this," Kharge stated in a post on X.
He further demanded that the government wake up and improve the system to prevent future tragedies, noting that many important “shahi snans” are yet to take place.
Kharge also emphasised the need to improve provisions for accommodation, food, first aid, and the movement of devotees.
“VIP movement should be reined in,” he added, echoing concerns that the focus should be on the devotees rather than the elite.
Rahul Gandhi also condemned the tragedy, stating, “Mismanagement and administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident.”
He expressed his condolences to the affected families and stressed that the government should ensure better arrangements ahead of future maha snans to prevent similar incidents.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also expressed her sorrow, urging the government to airlift the injured and provide immediate medical treatment.
"May God grant peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families," she said in a post on X.
Pawan Khera, head of Congress’ media department, labelled the incident "very saddening" and pointed to administrative negligence. He demanded that additional security forces be deployed and that the responsibility for management be reassigned to a better administrator than Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The stampede occurred during the Amrit Snan, a key ritual of the Maha Kumbh, attracting around 10 crore pilgrims.
Despite the chaos, many devotees continued to take the holy dip at Sangam and other ghats.
The Triveni Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers converge, is considered the holiest bathing spot during the Maha Kumbh, with the belief that a dip here washes away sins and grants ‘moksha’.
The Mela area was filled with the wailing sirens of ambulances and police vehicles, as the injured were rushed to hospitals in the region.
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