Uttar Pradesh | Akhilesh urges Yogi govt to extend Maha Kumbh dates

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday (February 15) urged the Uttar Pradesh government to extend the duration of the Maha Kumbh Mela currently underway in Prayagraj.

Speaking to reporters at the party office, Yadav accused the BJP government of lying in statistics. He said that as per the information he has received, a total of 60 crore people have taken the holy dip at the Maha Kumbh, but the government is not disclosing it.

Also Read: Maha Kumbh: Over 50 crore devotees bathed at Triveni Sangam, says UP govt

Akhilesh's claim

In a post on X, he said, "We believe that about 60 crore people have taken bath in Maha Kumbh. The government is showing a reduced figure because tomorrow when the international media or university will study the administration and management of this fair, they will find that proper administration and management was not done according to the number of people who came. Which is the failure of the BJP government. That is why after the fair failed, they are deliberately showing a lower number."

Speaking to reporters, he said, "We appeal to the government that many elderly people, who are 65-plus, 70-plus have not been able to take bath in Maha Kumbh. They want to take a bath and want to participate in spiritual programmes. This is an appeal to the government that at one time there used to be a Kumbh of 75 days."

He added, "Our demand is that the residents of Prayagraj could not even take a bath, so the Kumbh should be given a further extension."

The ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela being held at the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, started with the first major 'snaan' (bath) on January 13 on the occasion of Paush Purnima and will conclude on February 26 on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.

Also Read: UP Police act against 53 social media accounts for Maha Kumbh misinformation

Alleged failure

Targeting the Digital Kumbh of the government, the SP chief said, "The government said that it had placed the drone, and conducted many programmes with the drone, but did not use the drone where it was supposed to be used. The government talked about Digital Kumbh but could not reveal the numbers till now."

Highlighting the alleged failure of the commissionerate system of policing, the former UP chief minister said, "If the biggest failure of the Commissionerate system (of policing) has been seen, then it is in Prayagraj. Can anyone forget the bad name that UP has earned in the country and in the world? A world record 300-kilometre-long jam was created. Chief Ministers of UP and MP were working to ease the jam."

Sharpening his attack, Yadav said, "These are the people who are saying that we are dreaming of a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India). This arrangement ('aayojan') has exposed their claims of 'Viksit Bharat' and the infrastructure they were building. And those who are afraid of being exposed are the same who are attacking the media cell."

(With agency inputs)