No data on Maha Kumbh stampede maintained by central govt, says MoS Home Nityanand Rai
New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI): Inquiry into the Maha Kumbh stampede was conducted by the Uttar Pradesh government and no data on casualties and injured victims is maintained with the central government, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai shared the information while replying to a question by Congress MPs KC Venugopal and Kirsan Namdeo on the number of people killed and injured in the stampede and the steps taken by the authorities to investigate the causes.
Rai said "public order" and "police" were state subjects, according to the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
Organisation of religious congregations, crowd management, provision of amenities to devotees, prevention of any type of disaster during congregations, etc are closely linked to "public order", which is a state subject, he added.
"Conducting of any type of inquiry into any type of disasters occurred in a state, including stampedes, and provision of financial assistance to families of deceased devotees and injured persons, also come under the purview of the concerned state governments. State governments are competent to deal with such situations. No such data is maintained centrally," he said in a written reply.
The Union minister said the National Disaster Management Authority had circulated detailed guidelines on crowd management at events and venues of mass gathering. Guidelines on crowd control were also issued by the Bureau of Police Research and Development.
He said the Union home ministry had issued an advisory to all states and Union territories, advising them to use these templates to prepare their own standard operating procedures for crowd management and devise a checklist for the appropriate authorities.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Inspector General of Police Vaibhav Krishna had said the stampede January 29 stampede during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj left 30 pilgrims dead and 60 injured.
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Cold-blooded murder: Priyanka slams Israel, says its actions show humanity means nothing to them
New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI): Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the "cold-blooded" murder of over 400 innocent civilians by the Israeli government shows that humanity means nothing to them, and asserted that the more criminally they act, the more they reveals themselves for the "cowards" they truly are.
The Congress general secretary also said whether western powers choose to recognise this or to acknowledge their collusion in the "genocide" of the Palesitinian people or not, all citizens of the world who have a conscience, including many Israelis, see it.
Her remarks come in the wake of Israel's recent airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing more than 400 Palestinians. The assault had shattered a ceasefire in place since January.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes, which killed mostly women and children, after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement, according to media reports.
In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The cold blooded murder of over 400 innocent civilians including 130 children by the Israeli government, shows that humanity means nothing to them. Their actions reflect an inherent weakness and inability to face their own truth."
"Whether western powers choose to recognise this or to acknowledge their collusion in the genocide of the Palesitinian people or not, all citizens of the world who have a conscience (including many Israelis), see it," she said.
The more criminally the Israeli government acts, the more they reveal themselves for the cowards they truly are, Priyanka Gandhi said.
On the other hand, the bravery of the Palestinian people prevails, she added.
"They have endured unimaginable suffering yet their spirit remains resilient and unwavering," she said, hailing the Palestinian people.
In a show of support for the people of Palestine, Priyanka Gandhi during the Winter session had carried a bag to Parliament that had "Palestine" emblazoned on it.
The Congress general secretary has been raising her voice against Israel's actions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
The cold blooded murder of over 400 innocent civilians including 130 children by the Israeli government, shows that humanity means nothing to them.
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 19, 2025
Their actions reflect an inherent weakness and inability to face their own truth.
Whether western powers choose to recognise…
