BJP MP Hema Malini on Tuesday downplayed the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj, calling it an exaggerated issue and asserting that the congregation was being managed well. The stampede, which occurred on January 29 during Mauni Amavasya, claimed at least 30 lives and left 60 others injured, according to official figures released by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Hema Malini, who had also taken a dip at the Maha Kumbh on the day of the incident, said, “We had gone to Kumbh… We had a nice bath… Everything was well managed. It is right that the incident (stampede) took place… Itna kuch bada nai hua tha (it was not a very big incident). I don’t know how big it was. It is being exaggerated… It was very well-managed, and everything was done very well… So many people are coming, it is very difficult to manage but we are doing our best…”
#WATCH | Delhi: BJP MP Hema Malini says “…We went to Kumbh, we had a very nice bath. It is right that an incident took place, but it was not a very big incident. I don’t know how big it was. It is being exaggerated…It was very well-managed, and everything was done very… pic.twitter.com/qIuEZ045Um
— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2025
She remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be visiting tomorrow as “everything is alright”.
Her remarks drew sharp criticism from the Opposition. Congress MP Tariq Anwar from Uttar Pradesh’s Katihar dismissed her statement, saying she could “never know what it (the horrific crowding that led to the stampede) was really like.”
“When she visited, she was given VIP treatment. Things at Maha Kumbh went downhill because the police and administration were both (looking) after VIPs. They did not bother about the arrangements and security for common people. If she says this is not a big issue… it is a mockery of the victims,” Anwar told news agency ANI.
#WATCH | On BJP MP Hema Malini’s statement on the Maha Kumbh Stampede, Congress MP Tariq Anwar says, “Hema Malini can never know what it was really like. When she visited, she was given VIP treatment. Things at Maha Kumbh went downhill because the police and administration were… pic.twitter.com/SnsQGfnIkA
— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2025
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Dharmendra Yadav also questioned the BJP MP’s remarks, saying, “The government may have made special arrangements for Hema Ji. She is the ruling party leader and a big artist; it is possible that she had special facilities. Hundreds of people have died, and it is not hidden from anyone… All sorts of tricks are being used to hide the truth… The government distributed invitations.”
#WATCH | Delhi: On BJP MP Hema Malini’s statement on Maha Kumbh stampede, SP MP Dharmendra Yadav says, “The government may have made special arrangements for Hema Ji. She is the ruling party leader and a big artist; it is possible that she had special facilities. Hundreds of… pic.twitter.com/l8al50uXED
— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2025
“The CM said that 10 crore people will come during Snan days, and arrangements have been made for 100 crore people… They are giving data for every day, but there is no data on how many people died and how many are missing,” he claimed.
Row Over Maha Kumbh Stampede Deaths In Parliament
The Maha Kumbh stampede tragedy continued to be a major issue in both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the government was concealing the actual number of deaths and demanded strict action against those responsible for the mismanagement. Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy called it one of the worst tragedies in independent India.
On Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other Opposition leaders had raised the issue in Parliament, demanding a list of the deceased. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the remarks ‘anti-Sanatan dharma’, claiming that the opposition parties wanted it to be a ‘major incident’.
