"Absolute lie": BJP's Manjinder Singh Sirsa slams Tejashwi Yadav over "thousands being killed" remark

New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday lashed out at former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav over his remarks regarding "thousands being killed", labelling it as a "lie". He said that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader should be "ashamed" for making such "cheap statements".
"It is an absolute lie that thousands of people have died at Maha Kumbh... He should be ashamed of giving such a cheap statement. How can one-fourth of the population of the country come to Maha Kumbh without any arrangements in place?" Sirsa remarked.
His reaction came after Yadav alleged that the government had made no necessary arrangements for the devotees at the New Delhi Railway Station, where a stampede occurred on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of 18 people and leaving several others injured in the fatal incident.
He also lamented that poor people are being killed continuously and alleged that the government is not "concerned". The devotees had gathered at the railway station to board trains for Prayagraj to visit the Maha Kumbh Mela when the incident occurred.
Speaking to reporters in Patna, Yadav said, "The government has made no arrangements... poor people are being killed continuously. There have been deaths from station to ghat. The whole country and Bihar want to know who is responsible for these deaths. Who is guilty? Thousands of people are being killed; the government is not concerned."
He further claimed that most of the victims were from Bihar and accused the government of focusing only on public relations efforts rather than ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens.
The stampede at New Delhi railway station occurred around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj Mahakumbh, causing severe overcrowding at the station.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Additionally, delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.
An eyewitness described the chaos, stating that the crowd came from both sides after an announcement about a train platform change, leading to the stampede. Another eyewitness recounted the horror, saying that the crowd was beyond control. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it was impossible to manage them.
Meanwhile, a two-member committee has been formed to investigate the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, in which 18 people died and several sustained injuries. The committee comprises Narsingh Deo, Northern Railway's Principal Chief Commercial Manager (PCCM), and Pankaj Gangwar, its Principal Chief Safety Commissioner (PCSC), the railways said on Sunday.
A compensation of Rs 10 lakh was announced by the Indian Railways for the families of the deceased who lost their lives in the tragic incident.
Additionally, the Indian Railways announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured in the incident and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
Earlier today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the demise of people in an "unfortunate incident" at New Delhi Railway Station, where 18 people, including three children, lost their lives in a stampede caused by severe overcrowding. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased hailing from Bihar and Rs 50,000 for those who have sustained injuries. (ANI)