Maha Kumbh has turned into ‘Mrityu Kumbh’, UP govt hiding actual toll: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata, Feb 18 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that the Maha Kumbh has turned into a "Mrityu Kumbh" due to incidents of stampede, claiming that the actual toll at the mega religious gathering was suppressed by authorities.
At least 30 people died and 60 were injured in a stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj last month, while 18 people lost their lives in a recent stampede at an overcrowded New Delhi railway station.
“They have hidden hundreds of bodies to bring down the toll. The Maha Kumbh has turned into a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ under the BJP rule,” Banerjee said during an address in the state assembly.
Banerjee termed the stampede at the Maha Kumbh “deeply heartbreaking”, and stressed the need for better planning and management at large religious gatherings to ensure public safety.
“The tragic loss of lives in such incidents highlights the importance of careful planning, especially when it comes to the safety of citizens,” she said.
The chief minister also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for creating a hype around the Maha Kumbh “without making proper arrangements”.
“So many people died in the Maha Kumbh (stampede) incident, but they are not releasing the correct death toll. They created such a hype about the event, and yet there were no proper arrangements at the venue,” she said.
Banerjee went on to highlight the plight of Bengal residents who died in the stampede, alleging that their bodies were sent back without proper documentation, making it difficult for families to receive compensation.
“We conducted post-mortems to ensure that their families get the death certificates,” she said.
The chief minister also slammed the “VIP culture” at the Maha Kumbh.
“While I avoided the holy dip to prevent inconvenience to common people, the event saw special treatment for VIPs,” Banerjee noted.
Banerjee also pointed out that despite the stampede incident, no investigation committee has been set up by the Uttar Pradesh government, unlike in Bengal, where probe panels are constituted following such tragedies.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Deepfake video of Nirmala Sitharaman used to dupe Belagavi man in Rs 7.9 lakh scam
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 76-year-old man in Belagavi city was allegedly cheated of Rs 7.9 lakh in an online investment scam that used an AI-generated deepfake video misusing the name of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to lure investors, police said on Wednesday.
An online fraud case was registered at the cybercrime police station on May 1, they said.
According to Belagavi Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, the victim, Prakash Gubbi, a senior citizen, stated in his complaint that in November last year, he came across a video on YouTube in which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman appeared to endorse an investment scheme.
The video also mentioned a link in its description for making investments.
The victim clicked on the link, entered his details, and was later contacted on social media by a person identifying himself as Adarsh Anand, who persuaded him to invest, the officer told reporters.
Citing the complaint, the officer said the victim initially invested a small amount, after which the application began showing profits of USD 65,000.
When he attempted to withdraw the amount, the accused demanded a “customs duty” payment of Rs 4.2 lakh, claiming it was required to process the withdrawal.
The victim paid the amount, after which he was asked to pay an additional Rs 2 lakh. It was at this stage that he realised he had been cheated. In total, he lost around Rs 7.9 lakh in the fraud, the officer added.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, and police are investigating the matter, police said.
The commissioner cautioned the public not to trust such videos, stating that the finance minister does not endorse any such schemes.
He warned that such content is created using artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
He further advised the public to remain vigilant, avoid offers that appear too good to be true on the internet, and invest only through legitimate, registered agencies or trusted channels.
Deepfake technology enables the creation of realistic videos, audio recordings, and images that can mislead viewers by superimposing one person’s likeness onto another, altering their words and actions. This can present a false narrative or spread misinformation.
