'Heartbreaking' tragedy: Political leaders condemn loss of lives in Delhi Railway station stampede
New Delhi: Political leaders across India have expressed their profound grief over the tragic stampede that took place on Saturday night at New Delhi Railway Station, which resulted in the loss of at least 18 lives and left many others injured. The incident occurred amidst a surge in crowds of passengers, many of whom were en route to Prayagraj for the ongoing Maha Kumbh festival.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren offered his condolences, sharing his deep sadness over the heartbreaking news. In a post on X, Soren expressed, “I am deeply saddened to hear the heartbreaking news about the death of many people due to chaos and stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. May the souls of the departed souls rest in peace and give the bereaved families the strength to bear this difficult time of grief.” Soren also extended prayers for the quick recovery of those injured in the tragedy.
Similarly, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his anguish over the loss of lives and extended his condolences to the victims' families. Sarma wrote on X, “I am extremely anguished by the terrible news coming in from New Delhi Railway Station. On behalf of the people of Assam, we offer our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the stampede. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured.” It remains unclear whether any of the deceased or injured were from Assam.
In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath shared his condolences on social media, describing the incident as “heartbreaking.” In a post in Hindi, Adityanath wrote, "The loss of life in the accident at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad and heart-breaking. My condolences are with the bereaved families. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant salvation to the departed souls, strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow and speedy recovery to the injured.”
President Droupadi Murmu, in her statement, expressed deep anguish over the incident. In a post on X, Murmu said, “Deeply anguished to know about the loss of lives in a stampede at New Delhi Railway station. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for speedy recovery of those injured.”
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident, calling it “extremely sad and distressing.” He also criticised the railway authorities for their failure to prevent the tragedy. Gandhi wrote on X, “The news of several people dying and many getting injured due to the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad and distressing. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured. This incident once again highlights the failure of the Railways and the insensitivity of the government. Considering the large number of devotees going to Prayagraj, better arrangements should have been made at the station. The government and administration should ensure that no one has to lose their life due to mismanagement and negligence.”
Mayawati, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief, also expressed her grief and blamed the Railways for the disaster. In her post on X, she stated, “It is very sad that due to the serious negligence of the railways, many people died and got injured in a stampede amidst the crowd gathered at New Delhi Railway Station to go to Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. My deepest condolences to the victims. The government should take action against the culprits and also provide full help to the victims.”
The stampede occurred around 10 pm on Saturday, when thousands of devotees, primarily headed to the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh festival, created severe overcrowding at the station. The chaos and crowd surge, exacerbated by delays and the sudden shifting of train platforms, led to the fatal stampede.