Allahabad station stampede: Akhilesh Yadav attends marriage, yet to meet victims' families

Allahabad: The administration was aware that almost 3 crore devotees were expected to take the holy dip on Mauni Amavasya at the Sangam in Allahabad during the Maha Kumbh. But despite that no proper plans had been made which caused the stampede at Allahabad railway station in which 36 lives were lost. While the state government and administration did not make plans for the day, they also failed to act quickly after the stampede.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav did not visit the hospital and meet the injured even several hours after the stampede. Akhilesh Yadav was busy with his cousin's marriage when the incident took place on Sunday. When thousands of devotees were trapped and waiting to be rescued at the Allahabad railway station, Akhilesh preparing to go for a function at his native village Saifai.

Some of the state ministers were also present with Akhilesh at his cousin's marriage. Not only Akhilesh Yadav, but Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who was Kumbh incharge, did not visit Allahabad but was in Rampur and kept on issuing statements from there.

Akhilesh Yadav was busy with his cousin\'s marriage when the incident took place on Sunday.

Khan on Monday resigned from the post of the incharge of the Maha Kumbh Mela over the stampede. He denied that accident took place due to poor administration but later took responsibility for the fiasco and resigned.

Railway Minister PK Bansal also dismissed the reports of the collapse of a foot overbridge at the Allahabad railway station and said adequate arrangements were made at the station. "The reports of foot-over bridge collapsing are not true. There were too many people on the foot-over bridge, which led to the stampede. Railway arrangements were adequate," Bansal said. Even, Lalji Shukla, DIG of Railways, reached the spot 3 hours after the tragedy.

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