Maha Kumbh stampede: PIL in Supreme Court seeks safety measures for pilgrims
A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking directions to ensure the safety and security of pilgrims attending the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The petition comes after a stampede on January 29, resulted in the deaths of 30 pilgrims and injured over 60 others.
Advocate Vishal Tiwari, who filed the PIL, accused the Uttar Pradesh Government of “lapses, negligence, and utter failure of administration” that led to the stampede. He sought action against UP government officials for their alleged negligence and lapses.
“Direct the state of Uttar Pradesh to submit a status report on the Maha Kumbh stampede incident that took place on January 29, and also direct to initiate legal action against the persons, authorities and officials for their negligent conduct,” the petitioner submitted.
The petition was mentioned for an early hearing before a bench led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna, which asked the petitioner to follow the procedure and approached the top court’s Registry.
Tiwari has also sought directions to state governments to prevent stampedes at crowded places like Maha Kumbh and ensure safety and security of people attending religious festivals.
“All state governments with coordination of the UP Government shall also deploy its small medical team at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh, comprising doctors and nurses so that at the time of medical emergency there may not be shortage of medical staff,” Tiwari demanded.
He wanted the top court to issue directions to ensure that VIP movements did not affect or create danger to the common devotees’ safety and maximum space for entry and exit of devotees at Maha Kumbh was provided to pilgrims.
The PIL sought directions to all states to ask their facilitation centres at Prayagraj to provide basic information regarding the safety measures and guidelines to the pilgrims.
There should be proper arrangements for announcements, display boards showing direction, roads, etc. in multiple languages so that people from other states don’t face problems, the PIL submitted.