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Akhilesh says govt hiding death toll, seeks action against cover-up

Reiterates demand for caste survey
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Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI
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Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday launched an attack on the Central and Uttar Pradesh Governments for failing to release the tally of those who were killed in the Kumbh stampede, and sought an all-party meeting on the management of the religious event.

The Kannauj MP, who was participating in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on President’s Address in the Lok Sabha, alleged that the government was hiding the number of deaths in the stampede at the Kumbh congregation in Prayagraj, and demanded strict action against those trying to cover up the “mismanagement” in organising the fair.

Sougata Roy of the TMC said President Droupadi Murmu failed to mention about the ethnic violence in Manipur in her address to both Houses of Parliament, adding that she too, like the Prime Minister, had failed to visit the troubled state and remains ensconced in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

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On tension along the China border, Yadav said both the BJP and the Congress have opinions on the issue. He referred to the Congress regime and said there was a time when acres were lost to China and now the BJP, too, was following the same path. However, it does not even accept China has occupied, the SP chief added.

Yadav’s remarks came a day after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Army had confirmed Chinese presence inside Indian territory.

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The SP chief reiterated his demand for a caste survey on Tuesday, noting that the Congress had not always backed the idea. “There should be a caste survey to strengthen reservation. Now, the Congress supports it too. But if they had done so earlier, we wouldn’t have to ask for it now,” Yadav said, assuring Congress of his party’s support on the issue.

As treasury bench MPs attempted to highlight friction between the SP and Congress, Yadav dismissed the suggestion with a jibe at the ruling party. “There is no friction — unlike your double engine,” he retorted.

Echoing Rahul’s concern over China’s growing influence in the manufacturing sector, Yadav referred to the 1991 economic reforms unleashed during former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, pointing out that while the market was opened, proper attention was not given to the manufacturing sector, as it warranted.

“If manufacturing sector had been paid heed to then probably we would have gone ahead of China by now,” he said.

Yadav’s remarks gain significance in the backdrop of the SP campaigning for AAP in the Delhi Assembly elections, even as Congress contests against it. His speech also underscored shifting dynamics within the INDIA bloc, as he asserted that Delhi’s development depends on the Central Government refraining from interference.

The rift within the alliance is becoming increasingly visible, with Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) also backing AAP over Congress in Delhi. This growing divide highlights the tensions simmering within the Opposition front.

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