This is “Mrityu Kumbh”, says Mamata Banerjee on stampede, BJP calls her ‘Anti-Hindu

Battle between the BJP and TMC for the next year’s assembly election seems to be intensifying as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today observed that the Maha Kumbh had turned into a "Mrityu Kumbh" due to the incidents of stampede, claiming that the actual death toll at the religious gathering was suppressed by authorities.

The BJP lost no time in hitting back as the BJP MLAs in West Bengal protested against Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, calling her an “anti-Hindu chief minister” over her “Mrityu Kumbh” remark about the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela.

At least 30 people died and 60 were injured in a stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj last month, while 18 people lost their lives in a recent stampede at an overcrowded New Delhi railway station.

“Maha Kumbh has turned into ‘Mrityu Kumbh’. I respect Maha Kumbh, I respect the holy Ganga Maa. But there is no planning…For the rich, the VIP, there are systems available to get camps for as high as ₹1 lakh. For the poor, there are no arrangements at Kumbh...Stampede situation is common in a ‘mela’ but it is important to make arrangements. What planning did you make?” said Mamata Banerjee, while attacking UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“They have hidden hundreds of bodies to bring down the toll. The Maha Kumbh has turned into a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ under the BJP rule,” Banerjee said during an address in the state assembly.

Banerjee termed the stampede at the Maha Kumbh “deeply heartbreaking”, and stressed the need for better planning and management at large religious gatherings to ensure public safety.

“The tragic loss of lives in such incidents highlights the importance of careful planning, especially when it comes to the safety of citizens,” she said.

The Chief Minister also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for creating a hype around the Maha Kumbh “without making proper arrangements”.

“So many people died in the Maha Kumbh (stampede) incident, but they are not releasing the correct death toll. They created such a hype about the event, and yet there were no proper arrangements at the venue,” she said.

Banerjee went on to highlight the plight of the West Bengal residents who died in the stampede, alleging that their bodies were sent back without proper documentation, making it difficult for the families to receive compensation.

“We conducted post-mortem to ensure that their families got the death certificates,” she said.

The chief minister also slammed the “VIP culture” at the Maha Kumbh.

“While I avoided the holy dip to prevent inconvenience to common people, the event saw special treatment for VIPs,” Banerjee noted.

She also pointed out that despite the stampede incident, no investigation committee had been set up by the Uttar Pradesh government, unlike in West Bengal, where probe panels are constituted following such tragedies.

The BJP, led by Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari, condemned Banerjee’s comments, saying such an insult to the event would not be tolerated.

Following her speech, BJP MLAs raised slogans against Mamata Banerjee while wearing saffron turbans.

The BJP legislators branded Banerjee as a “Hindu virodhi mukhyamantri” (anti-Hindu chief minister) and said that the alleged insult to the Maha Kumbh would not be tolerated by the people of India.