NEW DELHI: Former Union railway minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday dismissed the significance of the Maha Kumbh, calling it "useless" while blaming the Railways for the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that claimed at least 18 lives.
When asked about his suggestion regarding crowd management for the Mahakumbh, he said,
"Kumbh ka kahan koi matlab hai. Faaltu hai kumbh (Kumbh has no meaning. Kumbh is useless),"
Prasad told ANI.
“The incident is extremely unfortunate, and I extend my condolences to the victims. This tragedy was caused by the Railway’s mismanagement, and the Railway Minister must take responsibility,” Prasad added further.
The stampede, which occurred around 10 pm on Saturday, was triggered as thousands of devotees rushed to catch trains to Prayagraj.
Overcrowding worsened near platform 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. DCP (Railways) KPS Malhotra stated that delays in the departures of Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani further contributed to congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, citing a sudden announcement about a train platform change as a key factor behind the stampede.
“There was no one to control the crowd. An announcement said that a train scheduled for platform 12 would now arrive at platform 16.
This caused passengers to rush from both directions, leading to the stampede. Some were taken to the hospital,” an eyewitness said.
Another witness said authorities, including NDRF personnel, struggled to manage the overwhelming crowd.
“I have never seen such a massive crowd at the railway station, not even during festivals. Officials were present, but once the crowd exceeded a certain limit, it became impossible to control,” he said.
The sale of around 1,500 general tickets and delayed train schedules further worsened the situation.
(With inputs from agencies)The TOI City Desk is an indefatigable team of journalists dedicat...
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