Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Following a devastating stampede at a prayer meet in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, which claimed the lives of over 100 individuals, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has accused the event organizers of attempting to conceal the incident. After visiting the site, Adityanath stated, “This will not happen again… there will be SOPs (standard operating protocols)… we will ensure that,” emphasizing the implementation of measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The Chief Minister announced the formation of a high-level judicial committee, led by a retired High Court judge, to investigate possible lapses. Early reports have already highlighted issues such as the lack of necessary permissions and inadequate crowd control and safety measures.
“The culprits won’t be spared,” Adityanath asserted, adding, “We cannot deny this stampede is not an accident… (but), if not accident, then it was a conspiracy by whom? We will conduct a judicial inquiry under a retired High Court judge.”
Adityanath confirmed that the stampede was triggered by a conflict within the massive crowd, which surged forward to touch the feet of godman Bhole Baba (real name Suraj Pal Singh) while others were trying to exit after the prayer meeting. Witnesses reported that as women attempted to touch the godman’s feet, a rush ensued, exacerbated by the security personnel pushing back, leading to chaos and the subsequent stampede.
“I spoke to some of the witnesses… they said that during the ‘satsang’, when women wanted to touch the godman’s feet, a sea of people pushed forward and security (Bhole Baba’s private detail) pushed back. Then they tried to cover up the issue,” Adityanath said. He also mentioned that the security team fled while victims were being taken to hospitals.
Among the 121 people who lost their lives were children, with the crowd at the event estimated to be over 2.5 lakh. The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday afternoon, drawing attendees from various states, including Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The state government is under increasing pressure to identify and apprehend those responsible, with political opposition demanding accountability.
Over 30 injured individuals are currently hospitalized and reported to be out of danger. Meanwhile, local government and police officials face scrutiny over the permission granted for such a large gathering and the absence of adequate safety measures.
A case has been filed against a close aide of Bhole Baba and the event organizers. However, the FIR does not mention the godman himself. No arrests have been made yet, with state police chief Prashant Kumar stating, “Action will be taken based on facts,” when questioned about potential arrests, including that of Bhole Baba.
