Kumbh deaths continue to dominate parliamentary proceedings

The January 29 stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj continued to dominate Parliament proceedings on Tuesday, with the Opposition slamming the government over its handling of the tragedy.

Taking part in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose called the incident a “classic case of missing governance” and accused the government of hiding the actual death toll. While official reports put the number of deaths at 30, independent sources suggest a much higher figure, she claimed. “This government is for VIPs,” Ghose alleged, blaming “VIP culture” for the chaos, where dignitaries arrived in cars while the public was forced to walk.

The present government was not guided by the principle of ‘Satyameva Jayate’, she added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also took a dig, declaring, “Democracy in this country is in the ICU.” He questioned the failure of promised modern facilities at the Kumbh, calling it a case of “political marketing”. Raut went a step further, alleging that 2,000 people had died in the stampede. “Had this happened elsewhere, both the PM and CM would have resigned,” he said.

RJD leader Manoj Jha also joined the chorus, accusing the government of turning a traditional religious gathering into a VIP-only spectacle.

BJP MPs strongly objected to Ghose’s remarks, demanding she provide evidence for her claims. However, the Opposition remained firm in its demand for transparency, urging the government to reveal the true extent of the tragedy.