- By Imran Zafar
- Wed, 19 Mar 2025 10:04 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday alleged that around 1,000 Hindu devotees who attended the Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj were missing. He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not addressing this issue in his recent speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Akhilesh Yadav’s remarks came a day after PM Modi praised the Mahakumbh for strengthening national unity and proving India’s capability in managing large-scale events. PM Modi also credited the event’s success to the efforts of the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and society.
The Samajwadi Party leader urged the BJP and the government to help the families of missing devotees. He insisted that the government should take responsibility for locating these individuals and reuniting them with their families. “Even now, 1,000 Hindus remain missing from the Kumbh, and their whereabouts are unknown. The BJP should provide information about them,” Yadav said. He also accused authorities of removing posters put up by families searching for missing individuals.
Questioning the government’s role, Akhliesh Yadav raised concerns over the budget allocated for the Mahakumbh 2025. He remarked that chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were primarily engaged in managing vehicle parking rather than ensuring the safety of devotees.
He also alleged that many IPS officers were preventing people from participating in the ritual bath, citing capacity constraints. Additionally, he claimed that devotees were being stopped at state borders, raising doubts about the government’s arrangements.
"People were being stopped at the borders. The Centre would have given a budget for the Mahakumbh to the state government -- that should be mentioned. At a time when pages of history are being turned, the biggest loss of lives has been of Hindu devotees," he said.
In his statement, PM Modi described the Mahakumbh 2025 as an extraordinary display of unity, where millions of devotees participated with unwavering faith. He stated that the event symbolised India's collective strength at a time when the world faced turmoil.
The prime minister further highlighted that people from all regions and backgrounds gathered in Prayagraj, setting aside personal differences. He referred to the Mahakumbh 2025 as a sacred occasion that reinforced the nation’s unity and spiritual heritage.