Akhilesh Yadav takes holy dip at Sangam during Maha Kumbh

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 26 (ANI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh.
This comes amid ongoing criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the SP chief's remark regarding the Uttar Pradesh cabinet meeting held earlier this week at the Maha Kumbh.
Meanwhile, UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that everyone is welcome at Maha Kumbh and assured that good arrangements have been made there.
"Everyone is welcome (at the Mahakumbh). There are very good arrangements, everyone is welcome," Pathak said.
UP Cabinet Minister Baby Rani Maurya when asked about Akhilesh Yadav's visit, said, "This is an ancient tradition, every citizen should take a bath. When our Prime Minister, President, and former President are all taking a bath, then why shouldn't Akhilesh ji take a bath? Is he not a resident of this country?"
Earlier, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath slammed SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav for "criticising" Maha Kumbh and said that the former UP CM is "playing the faith of the people of India.
Addressing a public rally in the Milkipur Assembly constituency to garner support for the by-polls, CM Yogi lashed out at Akhilesh Yadav and said, "Today Samajwadis are more concerned about property... When the whole country and the world were praising Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh, then the former CM of UP (Akhilesh Yadav) was criticising Maha Kumbh every day and playing with the faith of the people of India."
On Wednesday, Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Yogi government for holding a cabinet meeting at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and said, "Kumbh or Prayagraj is not the place where politics or political decisions should be taken," Yadav said.
"Kumbh or Prayagraj is not the place where politics or political decisions should be taken. Organising cabinet meetings at Kumbh is political. Many of us (Samajwadi party people) must have gone to take a holy dip but didn't post a picture or tell you (media)," he added.
Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya had also slammed the SP chief saying that Yadav cannot tolerate that 50 lakh to 1 crore people are taking a dip at Mahakumbh every day.
Speaking to ANI, Maurya said, "Mahakumbh 2025 is moving towards success in a very grand, divine way. The cabinet members of the alliance government sat in the Maha Kumbh area. This was a golden opportunity that every one of us took a holy dip and took important decisions. I don't know what has happened to Akhilesh Yadav he cannot see the good management and cleanliness of Mahakumbh, he cannot tolerate that 50 lakhs to 1 crore people are taking a dip there every day. He should not make such comments."
The Maha Kumbh began on January 13 and will continue until February 26. (ANI)