“Mrityu Kumbh…”: Mamata Banerjee Questions Yogi Adityanath Govt’s Handling of Maha Kumbh Mela

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a scathing attack at the central government and the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh administration for their handling of the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Speaking in the West Bengal Assembly, she described the religious event as having transformed from "Maha Kumbh" into a "Mrityu Kumbh" (Death Kumbh), underscoring concerns about poor management and inadequate facilities.

"This is 'Mrityu Kumbh'...I respect Maha Kumbh, I respect the holy Ganga Maa. But there is no planning...How many people have been recovered?...For the rich, the VIP, there are systems available to get camps for as high as Rs 1 Lakhs. For the poor, there are no arrangements at Kumbh...Stampede situation is common in a 'mela' but it is important to make arrangements. What planning did you do?”questioned Mamata Banerjee, directing her criticism towards Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government.

Over 500 million people gathered at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, including figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, and Coldplay's Chris Martin. However, the event was marred by tragedy, with 48 deaths from two stampedes—30 at Sangam Ghat on January 29 and 18 at New Delhi railway station on February 15. Additionally, according to a reportby ‘TheTelegraph’, between February 7 and 16, 47 pilgrims died and 68 were injured in road accidents, with traffic fatalities exceeding those from stampedes. The Opposition has criticised the union and Uttar Pradesh governments for alleged inadequate safety measures.

Mamata Banerjee responded to BJP's allegations against her, challenging the party to prove claims of her links to Bangladeshi fundamentalists, promising to resign if they could establish such allegations. She also criticised the BJP for using religion for political gain, asserting that their MLAs were spreading hatred and division, which goes against the principles of freedom of speech. Banerjee further stated she would raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding his party's accusations.

Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, escalated the political tension by accusing Mamata Banerjee's government of enabling anti-national activities, claiming, "there are some areas in Bengal where anti-national activities are high." He criticised Banerjee, also the state's Home Minister, for failing to address the issue, pointing to arrests made by Assam and Jammu and Kashmir police of Bangladeshi nationals, Rohingyas, and extremists as evidence of growing concerns. Adhikari stated, "In the last 2-3 months, many Bangladeshis, Rohingyas, and extremists have been arrested by Assam Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police," and highlighted that "there are 50-55 assembly constituencies and 30-35 police stations where the demography has changed," holding Mamata directly responsible for the situation.

BJP leaders have long accused Mamata Banerjee's government of allowing illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingya migrants to settle in West Bengal. This allegation was also raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign in the state.​