Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan on Monday sparked a fresh row after she claimed that the water of river in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj is the “most contaminated” right now as bodies of the Mahakumbh stampede victims were “being thrown into the river”.
She also dismissed the Yogi Adityanath-led government’s claims about the devotee turnout at the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, asking how such a large crowd could be at one place at any given point.
Last week, at least 30 persons were killed in a stampede that broke out at the Mahakumbh as scores of devotees turned up for the second Amrit Snan on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya at the Sangam. The incident raised severe concerns and questions over the arrangements made in Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela.
The grand Mahakumbh festival kickstarted on January 13 and will conclude on Mahashivaratri on February 26.
‘They are lying’
Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament on Monday, Jaya Bachchan claimed, “Where is the water most contaminated right now? It’s in Kumbh. Bodies (of those who died in the stampede) have been thrown into the river because of which the water has been contaminated.”
She said the real issues at the Kumbh are not being addressed, saying no arrangements were made for the common people visiting the Mahakumbh and neither are they “receiving any special treatment.”
“They are lying that crores of people have visited the place, how can such a large number of people gather in that place at any given point?” she said about the UP government’s data on devotee turnout at the Kumbh.
Parliament proceedings began amid chaos as Opposition legislators raised slogans over the Mahakumbh stampede and demanded a discussion on the same. Their sloganeering targeted PM Modi and UP CM Adityanath.
As the sloganeering continued throughout the question hour, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had to urge members not to let the hour be interrupted and ask them to raise the issues after that period.
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha and other Opposition leaders also demanded a list of the deceased in the Kumbh stampede. Kharge paid tributes to the “thousands” who died in the stampede, triggering a massive uproar from the ruling bench members.
Quickly adding to his statement, the Congress chief said the figures he was talking about were his “estimate”, adding that if that wasn’t right, “the government should tell what is the truth”.
VHP demands Jaya Bachchan’s arrest
Meanwhile, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded that Jaya Bachchan be arrested for her remarks claiming “bodies” of the stampede victims were thrown into the river.
VHP media-in-charge Sharad Sharma said that the SP Rajya Sabha MP’s remarks were “unfortunate”.
He said a statement from an MP holding such a high post “is going to create instability in the country”. Sharma further said, “Jaya Bachchan should be arrested for spreading sensation by giving false and untrue statements.”
He noted that Mahakumbh is the “backbone of faith and devotion” and that the sentiments of crores of devotees are attached to this great ritual.
Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party said that it smelt a conspiracy behind the stampede and that those responsible for it will have to hang their heads in shame once the investigation is over.
(with PTI inputs)