‘Faaltu hai kumbh’: Lalu Yadav strokes controversy; Shankaracharya prays ‘bhagwan aise logon ko sad-buddhi de’

Former Union Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav stroked a controversy on Sunday by calling Mahakumbh “faltu”. When asked about his suggestion regarding crowd management for the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, Lalu Yadav said, “Kumbh ka kahan koi matlab hai. Faaltu hai kumbh [Kumbh has no meaning. Kumbh is useless].”

Lalu Prasad Yadav’s statement came in the wake of the stampede that took place at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night. Around 18 people died in the incident.

Responding to RJD chief Lalu Yadav’s remarks on Maha Kumbh, Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth, Swami Shri Adhokshajanand, said he pities the politicians who have such a negative outlook and give disparaging statements.

“Bhagwaan aise logon ko sad-buddhi de [I pray that God gives them good sense]…,” said Swami Shri Adhokshajanan. He questioned, “Is there any other government that has been successful in organising such a huge event?…”

Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal says, “Everyone may have their own opinion on this, but many people are saying that Lalu is useless in politics”.

Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said, “…He has always attacked Sanatan culture, and their mindset is clearly reflected in their attitude towards Sanatan Dharma and its religious leaders. These people have even abandoned their own values for the sake of appeasement.”

JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha also reacted to Lalu’s statement, saying, “It is tragic, and this is a matter of people’s faith. People have trust and belief, and making such comments about it is inappropriate…”

New Delhi Railway Station stampede

Lalu Yadav said the Railway’s mismanagement should take responsibility of the stampede at the New Delhi railway station.

“The incident is very unfortunate and I offer my condolences to the victims. This is a mismanagement by the Railway that led to the loss of so many lives. The Railway Minister should take responsibility,” the RJD chief told ANI.

The stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station took place around 10 pm on Saturday when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 Mela, causing severe overcrowding at the station.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed.

Additionally, delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.

An eyewitness described the chaos, stating that the crowd came from both sides after an announcement about a train platform change, leading to the stampede.

“There was no one to control the crowd… It was announced that the train coming on platform number 12 would now arrive on platform number 16. So, the crowd came from both sides, and a stampede occurred… some people were taken to the hospital…” he said.

Delays in train departures and the sale of around 1,500 general tickets exacerbated the situation and contributed to the overwhelming crowd.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police revealed details of the investigation into the New Delhi Railway Station stampede on Sunday. The Delhi Police said the incident happened because of the “confusion” over the announcement of the trains “having the same initial name starting with ‘Prayagraj’.”

Maha Kumbh Mela Stampede

Earlier in January, at least 30 people were killed and 60 others sustained injuries in a stampede at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh. The incident happened early on January 29, on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.

The tragic incident occurred as millions of pilgrims crowded together to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya, one of the most significant days in the Hindu calendar.