Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday (February 17, 2025) attacked the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over alleged mismanagement in organising the Maha Kumbh Mela and demanded compensation to families of those killed in road accidents while travelling to the religious event.
Mr. Yadav expressed concern over the rising number of accidents involving buses and vehicles carrying Maha Kumbh devotees.
“…The main reason behind this is that due to heavy traffic jam and chaos, the condition of drivers is very bad. Neither their fatigue is getting over nor they are getting enough sleep. In such a situation, they are driving in a semi-sleep state, which is causing accidents,” the former chief minister said in a post in Hindi on X.
He emphasised that the solution to this crisis lies in effective management. “The only solution to this is good management, which only the government can do but is unable to do.” Mr. Yadav demanded that the families of all the deceased devotees, who died due to accidents, stampedes, or suffocation, be compensated equally.
“All the devotees who went on the Maha Kumbh Yatra and died at different places due to stampede, accidents or suffocation, etc., should be considered equal and their families should be given compensation for this,” he said.
Mr. Yadav also called for compensation for the injured and urged both the central and state governments to provide financial support.
“All the injured should also be given compensation along with treatment.
The central and state governments should provide money from various funds for this. When billions of rupees can be spent on publicity, then why can’t it be given as consolation to the bereaved families,” he said in the post.
In another post, the SP chief criticised the BJP, accusing it of mismanaging big events across party-ruled states.
Mr. Yadav laid out a detailed chronology of what he called the BJP’s “flawed” policies and practices, claiming the ruling party prioritises political gain over public welfare.
He began his attack by accusing the BJP of using religious, social, cultural, and diplomatic events for self-promotion.
He also alleged that the BJP spends more on event promotion than on the actual arrangements. “Spending more money on the promotion of ‘Maha-Ayojan’ (mega event) than on its arrangements. Exploiting the public emotionally by spreading false propaganda about it.”
The SP chief further criticised the BJP’s leadership for its “arrogance and failure” to address the challenges involved in organising such large-scale events. “Arrogant BJP leaders acting arbitrarily by considering themselves to be experts on everything related to the ‘Maha-Ayojan’.”
Mr. Yadav also accused the party of disregarding warnings from the opposition, saying, “Rejecting the advice of the other party cautioning about the ‘Maha-Ayojan’ as criticism.”
Mr. Yadav’s post also highlighted the BJP’s “poor response” to accidents during these events, accusing the party of suppressing such incidents through media control.
“In case of an accident in the ‘Maha-Ayojan’, first of all suppress the news of the accident through media management, rather than accepting the accident and doing relief, rescue and repair disaster management.”
He also claimed that casualties are downplayed. “Hiding the figures of the dead and injured in the accident so that the lack of their mismanagement can be shown as minimal.”
The former CM continued by alleging that the BJP blames others for accidents, calling it a conspiracy to evade responsibility.
He concluded by accusing the ruling party of internal discord following such events, with party members contradicting each other and fuelling political infighting.
“The political infighting among the BJP members increases due to the accident of the ‘Maha-Ayojan’, one denies and the other accepts and getting their supporters to throw mud at each other,” he said.
The ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj will continue till February 26.
