Yogi Adityanath attacks Akhilesh Yadav over Maha Kumbh: 'Non-Sanatani was in-charge in 2013'

Yogi Adityanath attacks Akhilesh Yadav over Maha Kumbh: 'Non-Sanatani was in-charge in 2013'

Yogi Adityanath attacks Akhilesh Yadav over Maha Kumbh: 'Non-Sanatani was in-charge in 2013' ByHT News Desk Feb 24, 2025 05:23 PM IST Share Via Copy Link Yogi Adityanath said 63 crore people would not have attended Maha Kumbh had there not been world-class facilities.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday slammed the Samajwadi Party in the UP assembly over Maha Kumbh, saying the Akhilesh Yadav government had made a 'non-Sanatani' in-charge of the 2013 mela. The BJP leader was referring to former UP minister, Azam Khan.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath at an event in the Maha Kumbh Mela area on Sunday. (HT)

"What you (the opposition) said regarding Maha Kumbh, a person from a particular caste was stopped from entering Maha Kumbh. We had told those who go with goodwill, they can go but if somebody goes with malicious intent, they would be in trouble... We did not play with the religious sentiments of people, unlike the Samajwadi party. Their CM did not have the time to monitor Kumbh and see its arrangements and therefore, he (Akhilesh Yadav) made a non-Sanatani, in-charge of Kumbh," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Yogi Adityanath, reacting to the opposition's claim of mismanagement in the ongoing Hindu festival, said 63 crore people would not have attended Maha Kumbh had there not been world-class facilities.

He also claimed that the figure would cross the 65 crore mark on February 26, the last day of the Kumbh Mela.

"Had there been no world-class facilities in Maha Kumbh, 63 crore devotees would not have attended it till now...by 26th February, I guess that the way the country and world are attracted towards Maha Kumbh, we will cross 65 crores," he said.

Yogi Adityanath said the 2013 Kumbh was fraught with chaos, corruption and pollution.

"But here I was reviewing Kumbh and am still doing it. This is the reason that whoever went to the Kumbh in 2013 saw chaos, corruption, and pollution. There was no water fit for bathing in the Triveni of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The prime minister of Mauritius is an example of this who refused to take a bath," he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Also read: Maha Kumbh: 13 FIRs against 140 social media handles for ‘misleading content’

The UP CM further termed Maha Kumbh 2025 as successful.

"The President, the prime minister and the vice president visited there. The King of Bhutan came, and heads of all other countries of the world -- that is 74 nations -- visited the place. All of them participated in the event and made it successful. For the first time... everyone became a part of this event and made it successful," he added.

30 people died in a stampede in Maha Kumbh in January. Akhilesh Yadav claimed the UP government hadn't revealed the true number of victims. The BJP denied the allegation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed those who mock religion and ridicule it.

"Nowadays we see that there is a group of leaders who mock religion, ridicule it, are engaged in dividing people and many times foreign powers also try to weaken the country and religion by supporting these people. People who hate the Hindu faith have been living in some phase or the other for centuries. People who have fallen into the mentality of slavery keep attacking our faith, beliefs and temples, our religion, culture and principles. These people abuse our festivals, traditions, and customs. They dare to attack the religion and culture which is progressive by nature. Dividing our society and breaking its unity is their agenda,” PM Modi said in Madhya Pradesh.