New Delhi, Feb 3 Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Monday made sensational and startling charges over the Maha Kumbh stampede, claiming that the real number of deaths far exceed the official figures of 30 deaths.
He claimed that thousands of people were killed in the stampede that took place during the Amrit Snan on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya and accused Yogi Adityanath government of deliberate attempts to gloss over the crisis.
Speaking to media persons outside the Parliament, the SP lawmaker levelled many serious charges at the state government and claimed that many dead bodies were buried on the banks while others flown into the river Ganga and it was done to hide the real number of deaths.
The actual death toll is much higher than reported, he stated while citing first-hand account of many eyewitnesses.
"Maha Kumbh mein hazaron log mare gaye, kuch Ganga mein baha diye gaye aur kuch daba diye gaye (Thousands of lives were lost, many of the dead bodies were submerged in the river while others were buried on the banks)," he claimed, disputing the official death toll of 30.
He further alleged that the Kumbh administration and officials had clear instructions from the Chief Minister to not let the toll numbers exceed the mark above 30. Such cruel instruction is forcing many families to undergo unimaginable pain, he added.
"Families are being forced to take away the bodies of their loved ones, without conducting post-mortem as this will add to the death toll figures. They are being provided with Rs 10,000 - 15,000 cash to do the same," he said in further set of sensational charges.
Ram Gopal Yadav further said that the stampede was because of “gross administrative negligence” under Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
He claimed that on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya snan, the bridges were closed for the common devotees and its access was granted only to Akharas and VIPs and this led to the tragic incident.
He slammed the state government, accusing it of trying to obscure the truth about the extent of the tragedy.
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