'UP govt suppressed Maha Kumbh death toll,' says Rahul Gandhi, cites BBC report
New Delhi, Jun 11 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a BBC report to allege that the number of people who died in stampedes during the Maha Kumbh was suppressed by the Uttar Pradesh government and accused the BJP of having no accountability.
"BBC report reveals that figures of deaths in Kumbh Mela stampede were hidden. Like in COVID, the bodies of the poor were erased from the statistics. Like after every major railway accident the truth is suppressed," he said in a post on X.
"This is the BJP model - if there is no counting of the poor, then there is no accountability either!" the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.
On Tuesday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav cited the same media report to accuse the Uttar Pradesh government of lying about the death toll in the January 29 Maha Kumbh stampede and said that those who provide "false statistics" are not worthy of public trust.
Yadav made the remarks in a post on X, citing a BBC report which claimed that 82 people died in the stampede. The toll is significantly higher than the official figure of 37.
BBC की रिपोर्ट बताती है कि कुंभ मेले की भगदड़ में हुई मौतों के आंकड़े छुपाए गए।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 11, 2025
जैसे COVID में गरीबों की लाशें आंकड़ों से मिटा दी गई थी।
जैसे हर बड़े रेल हादसे के बाद सच्चाई दबा दी जाती है।
यही तो BJP मॉडल है - गरीबों की गिनती नहीं, तो ज़िम्मेदारी भी नहीं!
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.
10 blackbucks die due to 'bacterial infection' in Zoological Park in J'khand's Jamshedpur
Ranchi (PTI): At least 10 blackbucks have died at a zoo in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur due to a "bacterial infection," an official said on Sunday.
The deaths were reported between December 1 and December 6 at Tata Steel Zoological Park (TSZP).
The last death was reported on Saturday.
"Ten blackbucks have died till date in the park. The carcass was sent to Ranchi Veterinary College for examination and to ascertain the exact cause of the death. It seems to be a bacterial infection," TSZP deputy director Dr Naim Akhtar told PTI.
Assistant professor at veterinary pathology of Ranchi Veterinary College (RVC) Dr Pragya Lakra said the postmortem has been carried out.
"It is suspected to be H.S.(Haemorrhagic Septicaemia), which is a bacterial disease caused by Pasteurella species of bacteria. The disease is also known as Pasteurellosis," Lakra told PTI.
She said the further investigation into it would be carried out on Monday.
"After completing the further process, we can confirm the disease," she added.
The TSZP, which houses around 370 animals, including avians, had 18 blackbucks.
With 10 deaths, only eight blackbucks remained in the zoo, the official said.
Akhtar said the first death was reported on December 1. Later, the sample was sent to Ranchi veterinary college to ascertain the cause of death.
"We helped send the sample to Ranchi Veterinary College at the request of the zoo authority. We have informed the Central Zoo Authority regarding the deaths," said Jamshedpur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Saba Alam.
Dr MK Gupta, the chairman of Ranchi Veterinary College's Pathology Department, said Pasteurella is a bacterial disease which spreads in the body very fast and affects the lungs, causing sudden death.
High fever, swelling in the neck and diarrhoea are some common symptoms of the disease.
Akhtar said that they have taken extensive precautionary measures to check the spread of the suspected disease.
"Anti-bacterial treatment is underway, and the situation is under control now," he added.
Meanwhile, Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, also known as Birsa zoo, in Ranchi's Ormanjhi area, has sounded an alert after the Jamshedpur incident.
"We have 69 blackbucks in the zoo. So, we have already taken precautions by spraying anti-viral and anti-bacterial medicines. Besides, bleaching is being sprayed in vulnerable places on a regular basis," Birsa zoo veterinarian OP Sahu told PTI.
Spread over 104 hectares in Ranchi's Ormanjhi, the zoo houses about 1,450 animals and birds of 83 different species.
