The Trinamul Congress today alleged that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS are attempting to turn the upcoming Maha Kumbh mela at Prayagraj into part of their saffron political agenda.

The Congress has also voiced support for this stance. The Congress claims that Narendra Modi has no option but to engage in religious politics to stay in power. A political slugfest started following a demand from one of the Kumbh Mela organisers, Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, general secretary of the All India Sant Samaj, that only Hindu vendors be allowed to sell items at the Maha Kumbh Mela. The BJP has supported this demand by the Sant Samaj and urged the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to take steps in this regard.

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Senior Trinamul Congress leader and spokesperson Jayprakash Majumdar said that the BJP has long been determined to turn India into a Hindu nation rather than a secular one. “This is a reflection of their policy, as seen in the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela, with Yogi on one side and Modi on the other, both supported by the RSS. They are determined to exploit this opportunity to divide society, disregarding the constitutional framework of a secular country,” said Mr Majumdar.

Swami Paramatmananda, a senior member of the Samiti and head of the West Bengal Dashnami Naga monks’ organisation Panchayeti Mahanirbani Akhada, added that the ban should also apply to other Hindu festivals, arguing that these measures are necessary to maintain the “sanctity and purity” of the Kumbh and other Hindu fairs in line with Vedic traditions.

“We cannot allow what we call the ‘spit policy gang’ to disrupt the sacredness of the event.” The term “spit policy gang” has been used by some monks to describe communal practices they see as inappropriate for Hindu events. The senior Samiti member Swami Paramatmananda has also demanded that no new vendors be permitted within a 50-kilometer radius of the Kumbh Mela site in Prayagraj.

Suman Ganguly, spokesperson for the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, said that barring non-Hindus from setting up food shops or other stalls in the Mela area during the Maha Kumbh would create rifts in society. “This decision promotes purposeful communalism as part of the RSS-BJP agenda and spreads hatred in society. The fair should be conducted with peace and tranquility. I urge the UP government to initiate legal action against such people,” said Mr Ganguly.

The BJP MP and member of the Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs, Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, defended the monks’ right to impose such restrictions on non-Hindu vendors, arguing that “no political party should intervene” in religious matters if they are intended to protect faith and tradition. “Why are Hindus not allowed to visit Muslim holy sites such as Mecca and Medina? Our monks belong to the culture of ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Ishwar Allah Tere Naam.’ If Muslims set up shops at their fairs, Hindus should also be allowed to visit their holy places,” said Mr Mahato.