Wed Jan 29 01:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Kumbh Mela Stampede Raises Questions About Security; Mahamandaleshwar Demands Army Deployment
Prayagraj, India – A stampede at the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj has sparked outrage and prompted calls for increased security measures. Mahamandaleshwar Premanand Puri, visibly distraught in an interview with ANI, blamed the incident on inadequate police deployment and urged the government to hand over Kumbh Mela security to the army.
Puri, of the Panchayati Akhada Shri Niranjani, stated that the sheer volume of pilgrims overwhelmed the police, and that the army should have been deployed from the outset. He revealed that saints had repeatedly requested army intervention, but their pleas were ignored. He expressed deep sorrow and appealed for calm, advising pilgrims to return to their camps gradually to avoid further incidents.
In contrast, Ravindra Puri, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, while expressing sadness over the tragedy, attributed the incident to pilgrims’ determination to reach the Sangam Ghat, suggesting they should bathe wherever they find a sacred section of the Ganga. He absolved the administration of blame, citing the sheer scale of the event as a logistical challenge. His organization announced that it would not participate in the scheduled bath today, urging pilgrims to attend on Vasant Panchami instead.
The stampede has raised serious questions about the adequacy of security arrangements for the massive religious gathering, highlighting the need for improved crowd management and potential reassessment of security protocols for future events.
First Piper 