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RJD chief Lalu Prasad has attributed the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night to a failure in crowd management for passengers headed to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. His remarks sparked controversy when he referred to the Kumbh as “meaningless”.
“Kumbh ka koi matlab hai? Faltu hai (Kumbh is meaningless),” Lalu stated on Sunday. While expressing condolences to the families of the victims, he also called for the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The stampede resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 18 people, many of whom were from Bihar. Lalu, a former Railway Minister, blamed the incident on “mismanagement by the Railways.”
NDA leaders sharply criticized Lalu’s comments on the Kumbh. BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan told The Indian Express: “Kumbh is a matter of faith for crores of Hindus. Lalu Prasad has hurt the sentiments of Hindus with his uncharitable comments on one of the holiest congregations of humankind. He must apologize without delay.”
JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar added: “Lalu Prasad should have refrained from such statements. It is in his character to attack people’s faith from time to time. Several socialist leaders and their families took the holy dip in the Sangam. Was that also ‘faltu’?”
