Those who used terms like ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ unable to control disturbances during Holi: Adityanath

STATE TIMES NEWS

GORAKHPUR: Hitting out at his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee over her remarks criticising Maha Kumbh arrangements, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Sunday those who had termed the Prayagraj religious gathering a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ “were unable to control disturbances during Holi”.
Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected office-bearers of the Gorakhpur Journalists Press Club here, he said that “for the first time, people came to the Maha Kumbh from Tamil Nadu”.
“People (devotees) also came from Kerala. The population of Uttar Pradesh is 25 crores, and the Holi concluded peacefully. But, in West Bengal, a number of disturbances took place during Holi,” he said.
On the day of Holi on March 14, a 20-year-old youth was killed in a scuffle during celebrations in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.
Akash Choudhury, alias Amar, was accosted by three to four youths while celebrating Holi with his friends near his residence in Titagarh. As an argument broke out, he was repeatedly stabbed in his neck and other parts of his body by the assailants, the officer added.
Adityanath took a dig at Banerjee over such incidents in her state on the festival.
“People who were unable to control the disturbances (‘upadrav’) during Holi, had said that the Maha Kumbh of Prayagraj was a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’. But, we said that this is not ‘Mrityu’ (death), it is ‘Mrityunjay’ (victory over death) It is a Maha Kumbh,” he said.
Adityanath said that everyday of the 45-day event witnessed 50,000 to 1 lakh people from West Bengal taking part.
Days after the January 29 stampede at the Sangam Nose, where the official toll was 30, Banerjee had said the Maha Kumbh has turned into a “Mrityu Kumbh” due to such incidents, claiming the actual toll was suppressed by authorities.
“They have hidden hundreds of bodies to bring down the toll. The Maha Kumbh has turned into a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ under the BJP rule,” Banerjee said during an address in the West Bengali assembly on February 18.
Back in Gorakhpur, Adityanath also said his government sent ministers to some states to invite governors and chief ministers to the Maha Kumbh, and if possible also hold a press conference on the event.
He also thanked the media for helping the Maha Kumbh transform into the biggest event of the world through their positive writings. He said the Kumbh became a base to connect society with the idea of Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat.