Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on Monday stoked controversy through her remarks that the Ganga water in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, where thousands of people are taking a dip during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, is allegedly highly contaminated as bodies of those killed in the recent stampede were dumped in the river.
Ms Bachchan, a Rajya Sabha MP, dismissed the Yogi Adityanath government’s claims that crores of people have participated in the Maha Kumbh, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. She also demanded that the government provide actual figures on the deaths that took place during the stampede.
A sacred event for Hindus, the Maha Kumbh began on January 13 and will conclude on February 26. On January 29, at least 30 people were killed when a huge crowd broke barricades and jostled for space to take a holy dip at the Sangam – the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati – during “Amrit Snan” on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Ms Bachchan said: “Where is the water most contaminated right now? It is in Kumbh. No one is giving any clarification on that. Bodies (of those who died in the stampede) have been thrown in the river because of which the water has been contaminated… This is the water which is being used by the people there. No one is giving any clarification on this.”
She added: “The real issues of the country are not being addressed. People who do not get any VIP treatment, the common man, no arrangement has been made for them.”
Asked what it is that she was seeking from the state government, the actor-politician said: “At least tell us the truth about what happened at Kumbh. They (government) should speak about it in Parliament.”
#WATCH | Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan says, “… Where is the water most contaminated right now? It’s in Kumbh. Bodies (of those who died in the stampede) have been thrown in the river because of which the water has been contaminated… The real issues are not being… pic.twitter.com/9EWM2OUCJj
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2025
When a reporter pointed out that the state government has already launched a probe into the stampede, the Rajya Sabha MP said: “What probe is going on? There are so many probes that take place in the country. Do they never conclude? Whatever is happening in Kumbh now, do we really need a probe? They’ve picked up the bodies and put them in the water.”
The biggest issue in the country is what happened in Kumbh, Ms Bachchan said. “They (government) should give the exact figures (on deaths),” she added.
On Monday, the Lok Sabha witnessed prolonged noisy protests by opposition parties demanding a discussion on the stampede and a list of those killed. Opposition members stormed the well of the House resorting to noisy protests and sloganeering.
Ms Bachchan dismissed the state government’s claims that crores of people participated in the event. “They are lying that crores of people have visited the place. How can such a huge number of people gather at the place? They are lying.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took strong exception to Ms Bachchan’s remarks.
“Ms Bachchan is a good actor. Whatever she said today is from a written script that had good dialogues. However, the SP’s narrative will prove to be costly for the party. The manner in which the SP has been hurting the sentiments of the Hindus, they will have to face the repercussions,” state BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said.
Additional District Magistrate of the Maha Kumbh Mela, Vivek Chaturvedi, earlier said the river water is absolutely safe to take the holy dip.
“A team from the pollution control board is doing sample testing of the river from different ghats on a daily basis and the levels are within control. The second area of attention is the pooja waste which is going into the rivers – there are flowers, coconuts and other things which are offered as part of rituals. We have deployed machines on various ghats to fish these out of the river every two hours,” he told PTI.
According to state government officials, of the Rs 7,000 crore being spent by the state government on the Kumbh Mela this year, Rs 1,600 crore has been earmarked for water and waste management alone.
Besides, figures provided by the state government said an estimated two crore devotees had taken the ritual dip at the Sangam till 4 pm on Monday alone.
