“Don’t want to politicise this…”: Rahul Gandhi visits the Bereaved Families, Calls for Compassion and Accountability in Hathras Tragedy

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha visited Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, where he met with the bereaved families on Friday. Accompanied by state Congress leaders and party officials, Rahul Gandhi arrived early morning, taking stock of the situation in the aftermath of the Hathras stampede that claimed over 120 lives.

"A lot of families have been affected and many people have died don't want to politicise this. There have been deficiencies in the system. I think they should get more compensation as these are very poor families. I request the CM of UP to provide compensation open-heartedly,” said the senior Congress leaders after meeting with the families who have lost their loved ones. He also highlighted complaints from family members regarding inadequate police arrangements during the event. "The family members said that the police arrangement was not enough,” added the Rae Bareli MP.

Congress leader Danish Ali, who accompanied Rahul Gandhi, criticized the Uttar Pradesh government's response to the tragedy, describing it as inadequate and lacking seriousness. "This is an unfortunate incident. We left at 5 am with Rahul Gandhi. The stories of the victims are heart-wrenching… Neither any responsibility of the administration has been fixed nor the government is taking this seriously,” said Ali, echoing Gandhi's sentiments about the administration's failures and the unresolved responsibilities in ensuring public safety during such gatherings.

Family members of the victims shared their harrowing accounts, expressing frustration over the lack of proper medical facilities and security arrangements at the religious event, which led to the fatal stampede.

The stampede occurred during a satsang led by religious preacher Narayan Sakar Hari, also known as 'Bhole Baba'. Initial reports indicated that chaos erupted when devotees surged forward to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher's feet, despite attempts by security personnel to control the crowd.

In response to the incident, the Uttar Pradesh Police conducted searches and made arrests related to the organization of the event. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site and ordered a judicial probe into the circumstances leading to the stampede. A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission has been established to conduct a thorough investigation and submit its findings within the next two months.