“Not very big…”: Hema Malini Downplays Mahakumbh Stampede, Draws Criticism from Opposition

"We went to Kumbh, we had a very nice bath. It is right that an incident took place, but it was not a very big incident. I don't know how big it was. It is being exaggerated. It was very well-managed, and everything was done very well. So many people are coming, it is very difficult to manage but we are doing our best," Malini stated.

Her remarks have sparked a sharp backlash from opposition leaders, who have criticized the handling of the situation and accused the Uttar Pradesh government of concealing the true extent of the casualties.

Congress MP Tariq Anwar from Katihar in Uttar Pradesh criticized Malini for downplaying the incident. He stated that the BJP MP could not truly understand the scale of the tragedy, given her VIP treatment during her visit. "When she visited, she was given VIP treatment. Things at Maha Kumbh went downhill because the police and administration were both looking after VIPs. They did not bother about the arrangements and security for common people. If she says this is not a big issue, it is a mockery of the victims," Anwar said.

Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav also weighed in, pointing out that Malini likely received special treatment due to her status. "She is the ruling party leader and a big artist... it is possible she had special facilities (but) hundreds died and that is not hidden from anyone," Yadav remarked.

In the Lok Sabha earlier today, Samajwadi Party leader and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav demanded accountability from the state government. Yadav criticised the government for allegedly hiding the true death toll. He called for strict punitive action against those responsible for the stampede and for those who concealed the facts.

"For the Mahakumbh tragedy, there should be strict punitive action against those responsible and those who have hidden the truth should be punished. We ask the double-engine government, if there was no guilt, then why were the figures suppressed, hidden, and erased?" Yadav said.

Yadav further claimed that authorities had been forced to use earth movers to collect the bodies and questioned the government’s transparency. "The government is continuously reeling out budget numbers, please also give the numbers of those who died in the Kumbh. The figures for the deaths in the Maha Kumbh accident, treatment of injured, availability of medicines, doctors, food, water, transport should be presented in Parliament," he urged.

The stampede occurred during the second Shahi Snan on Mouni Amawasya, part of the Mahakumbh festivities, and resulted in at least 30 fatalities and around 60 injuries. Opposition leaders have raised concerns over the Uttar Pradesh government's response, questioning the management of the massive crowd and the delay in acknowledging the deaths. While the government has faced significant criticism for its handling of the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did offer condolences to the victims' families before the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister officially acknowledged the deaths.​