Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on Monday claimed that the water at the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, was contaminated due to the bodies of those who died in last month's stampede being disposed of in the river. The actor-politician also criticized the Yogi Adityanath-led government for failing to make adequate arrangements for the common people at the event.
"Where is the water most contaminated right now? It's in Kumbh. Bodies (of those who died in the stampede) have been thrown in the river because of which the water has been contaminated. The real issues are not being addressed. The common people visiting Kumbh are not receiving any special treatment, there is no arrangement for them. 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?," said MP Jaya Bachchan.
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Bachchan alleged that no postmortem was conducted on the bodies and accused the authorities of providing a "complete eyewash" regarding the stampede that claimed 30 lives and left 60 others injured on January 29.
She further criticized the government, stating, "This same water is reaching the people there. They (BJP-led government) are not giving any explanation on this and a complete eyewash is being done."
Commenting on the government's claims, she added, "They are giving speeches on water and Jal Shakti. They are lying that crores of people have visited the place. How can such a large number of people gather at any given point?"
The stampede took place around 1:30 am on January 29 when thousands of devotees gathered to take a dip at the Sangam Nose, a strip of land at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Taking a ritual bath at this confluence on 'Mauni Amavasya' is considered highly auspicious.