"Why not two minutes of silence...": Akhilesh Yadav accuses BJP governments of "hiding truth" over Mahakumbh stampede

New Delhi [India], February 27 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday slammed the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh over the handling of the Mahakumbh event and indicated that the lives lost have not been mentioned in the remarks of BJP leaders who have hailed the event.
Yadav said that two minutes of silence should have been observed in memory of those who lost their lives. Thirty people lost their lives due to a stampede in the Sangam area of Maha Kumbh on January 29, and 18 people died due to a stampede at the New Delhi railway station earlier this month.
"Why not two minutes of silence...while writing such a big thing about Mahakumbh, you should have also written a few words for the dead and the missing people. Hiding the truth is a sign of 'guilt'," Yadav said in a post on X.
Akhilesh Yadav expressed his concern over the stampede at Maha Kumbh in the Lok Sabha. Samajwadi Party members raised the issue in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.
Earlier, on February 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to reflect on the conclusion of the Mahakumbh, describing it as a "Maha Yagya of unity."
In his post on the social media platform X, PM Modi expressed his awe at the overwhelming unity displayed by the 140 crore countrymen who gathered for the 45-day event in Prayagraj.
"The Mahakumbh has concluded...the Maha Yagya of unity has been completed. The way the faith of 140 crore countrymen came together for 45 days at the Maha Kumbh of unity in Prayagraj, at one time, and joined this one festival, is overwhelming! I have tried to pen down the thoughts that came to my mind after the completion of the Mahakumbh..." PM Modi wrote.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also highlighted the arrangements for Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and said that over 66.30 crore people visited the religious event.
The Chief Minister announced that the Mahakumbh has led to the creation of five new spiritual tourism corridors in the state, linking Prayagraj with key spiritual destinations such as Mirzapur, Kashi, Gorakhpur, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Naimisharanya, and Mathura-Vrindavan.
CM Yogi also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of harnessing the potential of spiritual tourism, stating that Uttar Pradesh is well-positioned to become the hub for it.
The Mahakumbh 2025 concluded on Wednesday, the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri. It marked a momentous event filled with spiritual unity, divine energy, and supernatural significance.
The Chief Minister said that more than 66 crore devotees received the holy benefit of bathing in the holy Triveni in the Mahakumbh-2025 that began on 13 January, Paush Purnima, until February 26, Maha Shivratri, in Prayagraj. (ANI)