Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to participate in Maha Kumbh today

New Delhi [India], January 18 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will participate in Maha Kumbh being held in Prayagraj on Saturday.
"Today, 18th January, I shall be in Prayagraj to participate in Mahakumbh 2025. The Mahakumbh is a celebration of India's rich spiritual and cultural heritage. Looking forward to join this holy confluence," Rajnath Singh posted on X.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday praised the preparedness and safety measures for the Maha Kumbh.
Speaking to the media, Shekhawat also criticized the previous government's handling of the event.
"The Maha Kumbh is being organised with all preparedness and safety under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It should be a case study on the arrangements by the government in one of the largest gatherings of humans. We saw how in the past the Kumbh was organised...if we talk about the Kumbh before this, the way the stampede happened in 2013 and the then government treated it with insensitivity. After independence, when the first Kumbh was organized, looking at the arrangements of the Kumbh, the then government was indifferent towards the arrangements of the Kumbh," the Union Minister said.
Ayodhya Commissioner Gaurav Dayal on Friday announced that special arrangements are being made to manage the large number of devotees visiting the Shri Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya after the Maha Kumbh celebrations.
The official said that the influx of devotees is expected to increase significantly, with large crowds anticipated following the Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya on January 29.
To strengthen the arrangements, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar conducted a visit to the Mahakumbh area on Thursday. During their visit, they chaired a high-level review meeting at the ICC auditorium.
According the state information department over 73 million devotees have taken the Holy Dip at the Triveni Sangam so far.
The next key bathing dates include January 29 (Mauni Amavasya - Second Shahi Snan), February 3 (Basant Panchami - Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri). (ANI)