Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla took a dip at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj in the Maha Kumbh along with his family members and said the religious event was a symbol of India's spirituality.
Sharing his experience of the Maha Kumbh in the holy city, Shukla said, "This is a wonderful experience. I have been coming to the Kumbh Mela since childhood. This is not my first time. It is a great religious festival. Will take a holy dip in the Sangam and offer prayers."
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of underreporting the number of devotees attending the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj.
Taking to social media X, the President wrote, "The news of the death of many people in a road accident on Mirzapur Highway in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh is unfortunate. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased. I wish for the speedy recovery of all those injured."
Managing the traffic in Prayagraj during the ongoing Maha Kumbh is one of the main challenges of Uttar Pradesh Police. But the police officials said that they can manage it well with the cooperation of the devotees and using drones for monitoring it.
"The accident took place on the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway on late Friday night when a car carrying devotees from Chattisgarh to Maha Kumbh collided with a bus. 10 people died in the accident..." said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Yamunanagar, Vivek Chandra Yadav.
For the convenience of devotees intending to visit the Maha Kumbh Mela, Railways will run Vande Bharat Special train No. 02252/02251 on February 15, 16 and 17 between New Delhi and Varanasi (via Prayagraj).
In their addresses, both Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati emphasised the urgent need for responsible, collective action toward environmental conservation.