Maha Kumbh VIP passes at Rs 255,000- Sanjay Singh moves adjournment notice over stampede

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has submitted an adjournment notice in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, demanding a discussion on the tragic stampede that occurred at the Maha Kumbh on January 29, 2025, in Uttar Pradesh. The stampede, which claimed 30 lives and injured over 90 people, took place during the Mauni Amavasya at the Triveni Sangam Ghat, a key location for the religious event.

Singh’s letter to the Rajya Sabha highlighted that this was the sixth stampede at the Maha Kumbh in the last 70 years, pointing to systemic issues and inadequate management by the Uttar Pradesh government. Singh accused the Yogi Adityanath-led government of gross mismanagement and criticised the prioritisation of VIPs over the safety of common devotees. He pointed out that luxury arrangements were made for VIPs, including private Ganga baths and high-end cottages, while ordinary devotees were left in overcrowded and unsafe conditions, with many pleading for additional routes before the stampede.

"According to eyewitnesses, before the stampede, devotees pleaded with the police to open additional routes, but their calls were ignored. The most shocking part is that the price of VIP passes was Rs 255,000 per person. Was this the cost of the lives lost? The Kumbh Mela has a history of stampedes--1840, 1906, 1954 (Prayagraj), 1986 (Haridwar), 2003 (Nashik), 2013 (Prayagraj Railway Station), and now, in 2025, another tragedy has claimed 30 lives and injured over 90 people," the letter further reads.

Singh also emphasized the lack of proper security arrangements, with VIPs having unrestricted access while the general public faced hazardous conditions. As over 340 million devotees participated in the event, the inadequate safety measures led to a preventable disaster.