New Delhi: Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha on Monday voiced strong concerns over the Kumbh Mela stampede, accusing the government of negligence and insensitivity and calling for accountability.
Speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, DMK MP Kanimozhi expressed her condolences and criticised the government for its failure to ensure the safety of pilgrims.
“I would like to express my grief and empathy to the people who lost their lives in the Kumbh Mela stampede. These people trusted the Union and state governments, hoping they would be protected, but unfortunately, no one protected them,” she said.
The Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed prolonged noisy protests by opposition parties, demanding a discussion on the stampede in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj and a list of the deceased.
She alleged that the government’s approach to governance has led to societal divisions.
“When religion and politics merge, it is the innocent who suffer. We don’t even know the exact number of people who died in the stampede,” she remarked.
Highlighting broader concerns about representation, Kanimozhi pointed out, “Just look around — there is a decreasing number of Muslim members in Parliament and fewer bureaucrats from the SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities”.
Meanwhile, the President’s Address glorified ‘civilisational nationalism,’ a phrase increasingly used to promote a monolithic culture, she said.
She also slammed the government’s policies towards minorities, citing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy, and “increasing” attacks on civil society.
“Minorities are being made to feel on the edge. The government’s approach on issues like CAA, triple talaq, and lynching makes them feel threatened,” she said.
On the subject of governance in non-BJP states, Kanimozhi alleged that governors were being used to create confusion and hinder administration. She also opposed the idea of ‘One Nation, One Election,’ arguing that it would suppress state-specific issues and allow national parties to dominate the agenda.
Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Chandra Uttam Patel also lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government’s handling of the Kumbh event.
“The Kumbh Mela was not struck by a natural disaster; it was a glaring example of the government’s failure,” he said.
He questioned why the authorities had not anticipated the overwhelming number of attendees and why no list of the deceased had been released yet.
“The double-engine government has made a mockery of governance. To date, we have no official count of those who lost their lives in the stampede,” he said.
Shifting focus to the broader state of affairs, Patel also criticised the government’s handling of the education sector.
Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar condemned the government’s response to the Kumbh tragedy, criticising the brevity of the President’s mention of the incident.
“Millions of Hindus were preparing for the Mahakumbh, and many poor people saved money for the Mauni Amavasya. It is sad to say that the President only spent 61 words on this tragedy. She has neither condemned the deaths nor sent condolence messages to the families of the deceased,” she said.
She further alleged discrepancies in the official death toll.
“There is a clear discrepancy between the number of dead bodies in the morgue and the number of people reported missing. The same thing happened during Covid times,” she added.
Dastidar also raised concerns about the economic policies and governance, highlighting the waiving of loans of billionaires while farmers are struggling.
“At every step, the Constitution is being disrespected. While the government waives loans for billionaires, it does nothing for struggling farmers,” she said.
On the issues of national security and civil unrest, she criticised the lack of mention of Manipur in the President’s Address.
“Not a single word was spoken about Manipur. Houses were burnt, women were gang-raped, and children were born in camps. The prime minister has no time to visit Manipur but visits election-bound states instead,” she remarked.
The opposition collectively demanded that the government take responsibility for the Kumbh Mela tragedy.
LoP Kharge says ‘thousands’ died; treasury protests
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday paid tributes to “thousands” who died in the January 29 Maha Kumbh stampede, triggering an uproar from the treasury benches even as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to retract the statement.
Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, was quick to add that “this is my estimate (and) if this is not right you (the government) should tell what is the truth”. He said he was ready to be corrected.
“I did not say ‘thousands’ to blame anyone. But how many people died, give that information at least. I will apologise if I am wrong. They should give figures how many died, how many are missing,” he said.
There was a stampede during the Amrit Snan on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on January 29. According to the figures provided by the Uttar Pradesh government, 30 people were killed and 60 others were injured.
However, while participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Rajya Sabha, Kharge used the phrase “the thousands who died in Kumbh” to pay tributes to the deceased.
“I pay my tributes to the people who died in Maha Kumbh… the thousands who died in Kumbh,” he said, leading to the protest by the ruling members.
Kharge, however, added this was his estimate and the government should provide the “correct” figures.
“This is my estimate, if this is not right you should tell what is the truth… I am asking you to declare what the actual numbers are. If I am wrong I am ready to correct,” he said.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urged him to retract his statement.
“The LoP has indicated a scenario using figures to the extent of thousands. I appeal to him, in this House, whatever is spoken, carries great weight. You have spoken something which has numbed everyone,” Dhankhar said.
“A message that goes from here, even if it is contradicted, goes to the whole world. Can you go to that extent? I would appeal to you as one of senior most leaders of this country, if you put a figure in thousands I can only appeal to your conscious,” he said.
Kharge said he did not mention the figure to blame anyone.
Even as Chairman Dhankhar called Kharge making the claim a “very sad moment” and asked him to withdraw his statement, the Leader of Opposition insisted the government give the correct figures and continued with his speech.
He also paid tributes to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, calling him the architect of the modern Indian economy.
