New Delhi- Six weeks after a deadly stampede during the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, the Union Home Ministry has informed the Lok Sabha that it did not conduct an inquiry into the incident and does not maintain data on the number of casualties. In response to questions raised by Congress MPs KC Venugopal and Kirsan Namdeo, Junior Home Minister Nityanand Rai stated, “Conducting an inquiry and providing financial aid is the state’s responsibility.” He further emphasized that state governments are competent to handle such situations and no central data is maintained.
At least 30 people were killed, and 60 others were injured in the January 29 stampede, according to senior UP police officer Vaibhav Krishna. The incident had led to political uproar, with opposition leaders questioning the government’s handling of the situation.
Rai clarified that crowd management and religious congregation organization are linked to ‘public order’, which falls under state control. He noted that the National Disaster Management Authority had issued guidelines on crowd management and that the Ministry of Home Affairs had advised all states to create their own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for such events.
The stampede had triggered strong political criticism, with opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, criticizing the government’s failure to manage crowds effectively. Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pointed out that Prime Minister Modi’s speech on the Kumbh’s success failed to acknowledge the victims of the stampede.
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