In his first reaction after the July 2 stampede, the self-styled ‘godman’ said that he is deeply saddened after the incident and urged people to have faith in the government and the administration.
“… I am deeply saddened after the incident of July 2. May God give us the strength to bear this pain. Please keep faith in the government and the administration. I have faith that anyone who created the chaos would not be spared… Through my lawyer AP Singh, I have requested the members of the committee to stand with the bereaved families and the injured and help them throughout their lives…,” ‘Bhole Baba’ said while speaking to a news agency.
The reaction from the ‘Bhole Baba’ came a day after his lawyer, AP Singh said that the ‘godman’ will cooperate with the investigation.
“We have district-wise lists of the victims, and Narayan Sakar Hari’s trust would take care of the education, health, and wedding expenses of the families of those who died in the stampede,” Mr Singh said.
At least 121 people, mostly women, were crushed to death after a stampede broke out during ‘Bhole Baba’s ‘satsang’ in Hathras. The stampede broke out after the ‘satsang’ was over and people leaving the spot.
As the baba’s convoy was passing by, women rushed towards him to have a glimpse of him but the latter’s security pushed them back, resulting in the tragic stampede.
According to reports, the ‘satsang’ organizers had taken the permission for a gathering of 80,000 people. However, the religious gathering attracted more than two lakh followers.
Following the incident, the police have registered a case against the organizers and arrested seven people, including Devprakash Madhukar, the ‘mukhya sevadar’ of the ‘satsang’. Madhukar was on the run since July 2 and was arrested from Delhi.