Led by Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, the Opposition members sought suspension of the Question Hour and demanded a discussion on the stampede.
Published Feb 03, 2025 | 5:39 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 03, 2025 | 5:39 PM
File photo of KC Venugopal in Lok Sabha. (Screengrab)
Synopsis: Opposition MPs sought a discussion on the Maha Kumbh stampede and demanded accountability. They said the government was trying to hide facts and said it should release a list naming the people who lost their lives. Members of the ruling alliance slammed Opposition MPs over the protest, with one BJP MP claiming that there was a conspiracy behind the stampede.
The Lok Sabha witnessed Opposition protests on Monday, 3 February, demanding answers regarding the recent stampede that caused at least 30 lives at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.
Opposition members entered the well of the Lok Sabha and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Opposition sought the resignation of Adityanath and asked for a list of devotees who lost their lives in the stampede.
Led by Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, the Opposition members sought suspension of the Question Hour and demanded a discussion on the stampede.
Following the protests, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla questioned the Opposition MPs whether they were elected by the people to disrupt the proceedings of the House. Later, the Opposition staged a walkout.
Meanwhile, in Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar asked Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to substantiate his claim that thousands of people died during the Kumbh Mela.
The Opposition continued sloganeering throughout the Question Hour of the session. Subsequently, Birla asked them never to interrupt the Question Hour adding that they could raise their issues followed by the Motion of Thanks after the President’s address.
Gogoi said, “Today the Opposition demanded only one thing, that the government answer on the atrocities committed with the tourists and death of people at Maha Kumbh. The government is trying to hide the answers. The topic of Maha Kumbh is very serious and should be subjected to investigation. We gave motion in urgent, but the Speaker negated it.”
“The opposition in Lok Sabha demands a discussion on the Maha Kumbh tragedy and asks the government to respond. Since this was not allowed, we continue to raise our voices,” Congress leader Manickam Tagore said on X.
The opposition in Lok Sabha demands a discussion on the Mahakumbh tragedy and asks the government to respond. Since this was not allowed, we continue to raise our voices.
— Manickam Tagore .B🇮🇳மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) February 3, 2025
Samajwadi Party’s (SP) Ram Gopal Yadav, slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for avoiding common people. “A very big incident happened at the Maha Kumbh. VIPs were helped… but no one cared about the common people. They were crushed and they died.”
“When it is over… when people return home… they will know how many are missing,” he said.
SP MP Jaya Bachchan said that the real issues are not being addressed.
“Where is the water most contaminated right now? It’s in Kumbh. Bodies of those who died there have been thrown in the river because of which the water has been contaminated. The real issues are not being addressed. The common people visiting Kumbh are not receiving any special treatment, there is no arrangement for them. They are lying that crores of people have visited the place, how can such a large number of people gather in that place at any given point?” she asked.
However, during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that the probe into the stampede suggested a conspiracy.
“Investigation is underway on the incident that took place in Maha Kumbh. We are getting the smell of a conspiracy from the investigation. When the entire investigation is done, the people who were behind the incident will have to bow down in shame,” Prasad said.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary said the walkout staged by Opposition members showed how “irresponsible” they were.
“This shows the thoughts of the Opposition. They started creating a ruckus during the question hour. The Speaker even told them that if they want to have discussions on this particular matter, they can do so during the ‘motion of thanks to the President’s address’… They did not listen to him and walked out,” she told ANI outside the Parliament.
“They have no strategy to put forward their point and neither do they know the correct way to do so,” she added.
Responding to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav saying that Maha Kumbh was being mismanaged by the Uttar Pradesh government, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said, “These people who were waiting for an incident to take place in Maha Kumbh so that they can do politics on it. The incident that took place there is unfortunate. Investigation is underway for the same. Over 40 crore people are coming there and the arrangements are very good. The Opposition will have to stop doing politics on such incidents.”
Meanwhile, while hearing a plea, the Supreme Court termed the stampede “unfortunate”. However, the court refused to hear the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking guidelines over the safety of devotees and asked the petitioner to move the Allahabad High Court.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
