Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Amid criticism from BJP leaders over her “Mrityu Kumbh” remark, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has found support in Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the 46th Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand.
Mamata Banerjee had slammed the Maha Kumbh organizers in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, citing issues like the January 29 stampede that killed 30 people, massive traffic congestion, and high faecal coliform levels in the holy water.
“This is Mrityu Kumbh… I respect Maha Kumbh and Ganga Maa, but there is no planning… How many people have been recovered?” Banerjee had questioned in the West Bengal Assembly.
While BJP leaders condemned her statement as an attack on Hindu traditions, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj echoed her concerns, accusing organizers of poor crowd management and calling the event’s planning inadequate.
Shankaracharya’s Criticism of Maha Kumbh Arrangements
Speaking to ANI, Jagadguru Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati pointed out several logistical failures:
• Unprecedented traffic jams up to 300 km, forcing people to walk 25-30 km with luggage.
• Contaminated bathing water, mixed with sewage, declared unfit for holy dips by scientists.
• Failure to divert or stop drains, despite knowing about the event 12 years in advance.
• Misinformation about the Kumbh being held after 144 years, calling it false propaganda.
• Attempts to suppress the number of casualties from the stampede and other incidents.
“If such mismanagement and deception occur, can we even oppose it when someone calls it ‘Mrityu Kumbh’?” the Shankaracharya remarked.
BJP Hits Back, Calls Opposition “Anti-Sanatan”
BJP leaders launched a scathing attack on Mamata Banerjee and other opposition figures, accusing them of being anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan Dharma.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari criticized Mamata Banerjee, along with Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, calling them Hindu haters.
“Yesterday, Akhilesh Yadav was looking for Akbar in Maha Kumbh, and Rahul Gandhi has still not come to visit the event… They fear Hindu unity, and their hatred for Sanatan Dharma is evident,” he stated.
Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti’s general secretary, claimed Mamata Banerjee’s political career would face a setback in the next Bengal elections due to her remarks.
“The upcoming Bengal Assembly elections will be a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ for Mamata Banerjee’s political career,” he declared.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders continue to allege that the actual death toll in the Kumbh stampede is much higher than official figures.
