SP leader ST Hasan criticizes authorities over Maha Kumbh stampede, calls for accountability

NEW DELHI: In the wake of the stampede at Mahakumbh, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former MP ST Hasan expressed deep concern and criticised the authorities for their negligence in managing the event.
Hasan, addressing the incident, said, "It is very unfortunate that such a major incident occurred at Kumbh yesterday, even when claims were made that all arrangements have been made."
He emphasised the sanctity of the Kumbh, describing it as a holy event where people gather to seek divine blessings and forgiveness. "Kumbh is a holy event.
People remember God and seek forgiveness for their sins. There should be no politics over it," he added.
However, Hasan made it clear that the stampede, which resulted in multiple casualties, could have been prevented with better planning. He urged the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to take swift and strict action against those responsible for the mishandling of the situation. "I urge our chief minister to take strict action against the officers whose negligence led to this incident," said Hasan.
He also raised questions about the preparedness of the authorities, asking, "When they knew that a huge crowd would be there today, why were proper arrangements not made?" He continued, stating that the arrangements were evidently lacking, which led to the tragic incident. "There was something lacking in the arrangements and that is why this happened. We earned a bad repute before the world. This can't be forgiven," Hasan said.
Meanwhile, leaders across the political spectrum expressed condolences on the tragic incident that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, killing 30 and injuring several others. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna addressed the press and said that 25 bodies were identified. "A total of 30 people died unfortunately in the stampede that took place at the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj. Twenty-five bodies were identified and the rest five are yet to be identified," he added.
Among the deceased, four are from Karnataka, one from Assam, and one from Gujarat, the DIG said, adding that 36 people are being treated at a local medical college. The Uttar Pradesh govt announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also ordered a judicial inquiry and said that a judicial committee will submit its report to the state govt within a time limit.
A three-member judicial commission will be headed by Justice Harsh Kumar, former DG VK Gupta, and retired IAS officer DK Singh. "We have been monitoring the entire incident from the CM's, Chief Secretary's, and DGP's control rooms throughout the day," he said. To monitor the situation of Mahakumbh, Chief Minister Yogi postponed his visit to Delhi for the election campaign on Friday.
Yogi said that the incident was "heart-wrenching". He expressed his "deepest condolences" to all the families. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma paid his respects to the deceased devotees who died in the incident.
He stated that the administration in Uttar Pradesh faced a "challenging" task in managing the huge influx of devotees but was making efforts to ensure that Mahakumbh remains a success.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chaddha said that the UP govt should review their preparations to avoid such incidents in the future. "I pray to Mahadev that the souls of the deceased rest in peace. I hope the injured recover quickly.
The govt should review their preparations to make them better and avoid such incidents in the future," Chaddha told reporters.