Opposition wanted hundreds to die like in past Kumbh tragedies: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has defended his government’s efforts in managing the January Kumbh stampede, which left 30 people dead and 60 others injured, despite opposition claims that the death toll was suppressed. Adityanath attributed the situation to public desperation and overcrowding, rather than mismanagement, and praised the timely medical assistance provided to the victims.

“Opposition Wanted a Repeat of Past Kumbh Tragedies”

In an interview with PTI, Adityanath said that the Opposition sought to replicate the past tragedies at Kumbh, where hundreds lost their lives. He compared the current arrangements to previous ones, highlighting the improvements made under his government. “They wanted a repeat of hundreds of deaths in past Kumbh tragedies. Remember 1954 when 1,000 died? Or the 1974 stampede? But this time, our systems and public support helped safely hospitalise everyone,” he said.

Survivors Share Their Account

Adityanath recounted his visit to the hospital, where he met with survivors. He shared their accounts, saying, “The government is not at fault. We were rushing for the holy dip… police tried stopping us, but we were desperate to bathe at the ghats by 4 AM.” He added that the survivors admitted to being caught in the chaos but requested no further action against anyone involved.

Kumbh Safety Measures Compared to Previous Regimes

Responding to allegations that the government had hidden the scale of the tragedy, Adityanath rejected the claims, pointing out that his government had implemented significant safety measures. He specifically compared the 2025 Kumbh to the 2013 event under the Samajwadi Party (SP) rule, stating, “In 2013 (under the SP rule), no permanent ghats or corridors were built. This time, we ensured cleanliness, security, and digital tracking.”

Tech-Driven Crowd Management

With over 66 crore pilgrims attending the 45-day Maha Kumbh, which saw up to 15 crore visitors on Mauni Amavasya alone, Adityanath credited the successful crowd management efforts to technology and public cooperation. “Every good task has challenges, but we turned them into solutions,” he added, highlighting AI surveillance and digital tools used to monitor the crowd.

Despite the tragic incident, Adityanath stressed that the government’s measures and public support had prevented a repeat of the disasters that marred past Kumbh events.