A tragic stampede at the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, has led to the deaths of several devotees, triggering a wave of criticism from political leaders in West Bengal.
The disaster, which occurred late at night, has left numerous people injured and many unaccounted for. Senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury strongly condemned the Uttar Pradesh government, led by chief minister Yogi Adityanath and the central government. Chowdhury pointed out that lakhs of pilgrims from West Bengal have travelled to Prayagraj for the holy gathering and bath, yet their families back home had no means of reaching them. “It is shocking that even by 4 p.m. the next day, neither the Uttar Pradesh government nor the West Bengal government had set up a helpline for affected families. Despite repeated requests from different districts, no assistance has been arranged,” Chowdhury stated.
He also criticised CM Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of indulging in politics instead of ensuring the safety of pilgrims from the state. “She is busy explaining the differences between Kumbh Mela and Gangasagar Mela, but where is her concern for the lakhs of Bengal residents stranded in Prayagraj?” he questioned.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) also condemned the mismanagement at the Kumbh Mela. State secretary Swapan Banerjee called it a “total administrative failure” and accused the authorities of prioritising financial gain over public safety. “This is a massive scam. Crores have been spent on advertisements while essential safety measures have been ignored. The government lured millions of people to Prayagraj without ensuring basic facilities, pushing them into life-threatening situations,” he alleged.
Banerjee further criticised the exorbitant travel costs during the event, highlighting that airfare had skyrocketed to Rs 70,000, bus fares ranged between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000, and train services were in complete chaos. “Passengers are packed like animals in overcrowded trains, and thousands with valid reservations could not board. The Uttar Pradesh police and administration remain indifferent to the suffering masses,” he added. Echoing these concerns, CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty demanded immediate action from both Mamata Banerjee and Yogi Adityanath. “Lakhs of West Bengal residents are stuck in Prayagraj. Both governments must take responsibility for their safe return. Mamata Banerjee’s tweets are not enough -she must act,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, religious leaders have also expressed deep concern over the incident. Swami Paramatmananda Maharaj, Mahamandaleshwar of Shri Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhara, stated that the Uttar Pradesh administration must support the families of the deceased and injured. “We had warned about the massive crowd, yet the authorities failed to prevent this tragedy. The government must release an official list of casualties, injured, and missing persons immediately,” he urged. He further emphasised that the administration should have utilised all available ghats to manage the crowd. “We had requested the construction of more bathing ghats to spread out the devotees, but that was not done. This disaster could have been avoided with better planning,” he added. As panic spreads among the families of missing devotees, demands are growing for urgent intervention, proper relief measures, and an official helpline for affected pilgrims.