New Delhi, January 29: As chaos erupts over the stampede at the ongoing Mahakumbh, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday paid his respects to the deceased devotees who lost their lives in the incident during the early hours of the day.
He stated that the administration in Uttar Pradesh faced a "challenging" task in managing the huge influx of devotees but was making efforts to ensure that Mahakumbh remains a success.
"Twenty-five crore people had come at Mahakumbh. More will come. It is a very challenging job. The UP administration is making every effort to ensure that (Maha)Kumbh is a success. I pay my respect to the devotees who passed away. A devotee from Assam also passed away. We are talking to the UP government to bring his body back home," Sarma told ANI.
Meanwhile, expressing grief over the demise of devotees, Yog Guru Baba Ramdev appealed to those visiting the Mahakumbh to follow self-discipline.
"It is unfortunate. I appeal to anyone visiting Mahakumbh that the Government and the Administration are fulfilling their duties, but we should follow self-discipline as well. The first characteristic of Dharma is patience. If you don't get a chance to go to the Sangam, take a dip wherever you get a place. I pray for the salvation of those who have passed away," Ramdev said.
Moreover, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chaddha said that the UP government should review their preparations to avoid such incidents in the future. "I pray to Mahadev that the souls of the deceased rest in peace. I hope the injured recover quickly. The government should review their preparations to make them better and avoid such incidents in the future," Chaddha told reporters.
At least 30 people have been killed and 60 were injured in the pre-dawn stampede on Wednesday at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj here, a top police officer said.
Twenty-five bodies have been identified and the rest are yet to be identified, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishna, said in a press conference.
"A total of 30 people have died unfortunately in the stampede that took place at the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj. Twenty-five bodies have been identified and the rest five are yet to be identified," he said.
Among the deceased, four are from Karnataka, one from Assam and one from Gujarat, the DIG said. Furthermore, 36 people were being treated at a local medical college, he said.
"36 people are currently being treated at the local medical college. Keeping in mind the convenience of the devotees, the CM Yogi Adityanath has requested all Mahamadaleshwar, saints and Akharas to take their holy dips with some delay. The Amrit Snan of the Akharas has been concluded safely..." DIG Krishna added.
Meanwhile, to monitor the situation of Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has postponed his visit to Delhi for the election campaign tomorrow.
