New Delhi: Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party, expressed serious concerns regarding the government’s response to the Mahakumbh tragedy. He highlighted that, although the Budget session is taking place, the urgent matter at hand is the ongoing search for individuals missing after the stampede.
Speaking to the media before the Union Budget announcement, Yadav called for immediate action, including the deployment of the Army, and pointed out the unprecedented denial of Shahi Snan by the saints involved.
“There’s something more pressing than the Budget right now—people at the Maha Kumbh are still looking for their loved ones. The Chief Minister has visited multiple times, the Union Home Minister has been there, the Vice President is visiting today, and the Prime Minister is also scheduled to go—yet in a Mahakumbh where many have died, the government has failed to provide accurate numbers of the deceased and the missing,” he stated.
“Hindus have lost their lives—the government must take action. I previously suggested that the Army should be called in. This is the first time saints have refused to participate in Shahi Snan,” Yadav added.
The stampede occurred during the Mauni Amavasya bathing ritual on Wednesday, resulting in 30 fatalities and 60 injuries.
Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is delivering her eighth consecutive Budget speech in the Lok Sabha, outlining the government’s fiscal plans, revenue and expenditure strategies, taxation reforms, and other key announcements. Earlier on Saturday, Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary met with President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan before the Budget presentation. During their meeting, President Murmu offered ‘dahi-chini’ to the Finance Minister as a customary gesture for good luck, while they discussed the Budget proposals.