Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lashed out at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday, accusing them of "taking payoffs" to speak against Sanatan Dharma. The UP CM's attack against Opposition leaders comes after they raised questions about the number of casualties in the Maha Kumbh stampede.
Yesterday, Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of the Maha Kumbh stampede in Rajya Sabha, where he claimed that 1,000 people died in the stampede, whereas the official figure provided by the UP government states that 30 people died in the Kumbh stampede.
Similarly, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav also questioned the government on the numbers and demanded that the UP government release exact figures.
"I am experiencing pride in being a witness to this grand event of Sanatan Dharma, and on the other hand, there are repeated malicious acts being plotted through payoffs against Sanatan Dharma," CM Yogi said.
Hitting out at opposition leaders, the UP CM said, "The statements made by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Parliament are drawing people's attention. These statements reveal their anti-Sanatan Dharma stance and are condemnable."
CM Adityanath commended the security personnel for their exemplary performance of duty in ensuring all injured victims received medical attention. He addressed criticisms about casualty figures, stating, "I personally disclosed the numbers to everyone. While the loss of life was tragic, the swift action taken by all emergency responders - including officials, NDRF, SDRF, civil defence, and police - in evacuating the injured to hospitals demonstrated remarkable efficiency and dedication to duty."
