OPINION | Yogi’s disclosures about Maha Kumbh stampede, an eyeopener-OxBig News Network

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s disclosure, about the reason behind why he chose to downplay initial reports about the stampede at Maha Kumbh on Mauni Amavasya morning,  should be an eyeopener for his critics. Yogi said, he did not want panic among millions of devotees who had thronged the city and on its outskirts. In times of crisis, Yogi said, a true leader is tested and tough decisions had to be taken and he did that. Yogi replied to allegations made by Akhilesh Yadav and other opposition leaders that the exact death toll in the stampede was kept under wraps. The stampede took place at 1.30 am and till 9 am, Yogi remained silent. The chief minister explained whenever a stampede occurs, one must never lose patience. There were nearly 4 crore devotees in Kumbh Mela area and another 8 crore in Prayagraj city. Had the news spread about the death toll in stampede, there could have been panic and the matter could have gone out of control. Yogi said, the first task was to ensure safe return of devotees who had taken a dip, and the authorities stopped more than 2 crore devotees pouring in from neighbouring districts from entering Prayagraj. Yogi was addressing Indian Institute of Management experts and Indian Postal Service officials about Maha Kumbh arrangements. His disclosures were specific. Yogi said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had wanted the Maha Kumbh to be the largest congregation of devotees, unprecedented in history. The CM then explained all the nitty-gritties that were addressed, like ensuring  quality of Ganga water, training of policemen, erecting lakhs of toilets and deploying thousands of sanitation workers. The biggest risk was a possibility of any terror attack. To describe the seriousness of this risk, I would like to  mention here that Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad picked up an ISI module operative from Faridabad on Monday. The terrorist admitted that he had been sent to blow up the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. I remember, when I visited the Maha Kumbh to record a TV show with Yogi Adityanath, I had asked him about the possibility of a terror attack on Maha Kumbh. Yogi replied, as long as Modi is Prime Minister, we must not worry about external danger. His only worry was about how to avoid any untoward incident at the Maha Kumbh, for which CCTV and drone cameras were deployed for surveillance. Yogi’s determination paid dividends. The entire world watched in astonishment how more than half a billion people came to Maha Kumbh for 45 days and arrangements were made with precision. The world media and newspapers praised the arrangements made at Maha Kumbh. Yogi Adityanath read out all those news headlines on Monday. Yet, there are people in our country who do not trust all that is said in media. They remain cynical. I think, after going through those foreign media headlines, they may realize that the success of Maha Kumbh was a matter of pride for India.

Mayawati’s nephew expelled : A family matter

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati expelled her nephew Akash Anand from the party, a day after she took away all responsibilities from him. Akash Anand was the national coordinator of the party. Mayawati wrote on X that Akash Anand was working at the behest of his father-in-law and instead of showing maturity, he had become arrogant and self-centred. Former associates of Mayawati like Swami Prasad Maurya said, Mayawati has weakened her party and she is unwilling to reform. Another Samajwadi Party leader alleged that Mayawati took action against her nephew at the behest of BJP. It seems to me that this matter is entirely family-related and not political. Mayawati is unhappy with her nephew’s father-in-law and she believes that Akash was following the dictates of his father-in-law, whom she had already expelled from her party. This chapter is now over. Though speculations will continue, but this will not have much effect on Bahujan Samaj Party, whose base among Dalit voters is dwindling by the day.

Rohit’s fitness : Shama’s timing is totally wrong

Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed embarrassed her party by posting a comment on X raising the issue of Rohit Sharma’s fitness. In her post, she described Rohit Sharma as “fat” and as the most unimpressive captain till now. Soon after her tweet, leaders from different political parties criticized her. Former India player Harbhajan Singh said, nobody had any right to make personal comment about Rohit Sharma’s fitness. After a flurry of criticisms, the Congress party distanced itself from Shama’s comment. A statement was issued by the Congress party saying it does not agree with Shama’s comment and it was her personal opinion. Shama explained on social media that she was not “body shaming” Rohit Sharma, but had only compared him with other former captains. Shama had not expected such strong opposition to her comment. She must understand two or three points. One, Rohit Sharma is fully fit and he has passed all fitness tests like other Team India players. This is the reason why he is in the team and is its captain. Two, Shama should go through Rohit Sharma’s records. He is one of the finest batters of the world and when his bat is in full cry, bowlers tremble at his onslaught. Three, India is playing ICC Champions Trophy semifinal under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy against Australia. Team India till now, under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, has done admirably well in the Champions Trophy. At such a time, poking fun at the captain’s fitness is unacceptable. Shama’s information is incorrect, and her timing is also wrong.

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