West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
Credit: PTI File Photo
Kolkata: Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party criticised her for her recent ‘Mrityu Kumbh” comment, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expressed her doubt over the claim that the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh was a special religious event happening after 144 years.
“The last Kumbh Mela happened in 2014. If I am wrong, then please correct me. But that this Maha Kumbh is taking place in 144 years is incorrect,” she said, adding that the experts would be able to confirm if it was true.
She also said that her February 18 comment on Maha Kumbh had been distorted.
The TMC supremo had cited the deaths of pilgrims at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj as well as at the New Delhi railway station and had said that the ‘Maha Kumbh’ had turned into ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ with the Bharatiya Janata Party in power in the state of Uttar Pradesh and the Centre.
The BJP had accused her of insulting the faith of the Hindus by calling the event “Mrityu Kumbh”.
"If I am arranging for a wedding ceremony, I must do it keeping in mind the number of guests. For religious congregations, we must also follow the same planning and arrangements. We have talked about the (lack of) planning (in Kumbh Mela) and that statement was distorted. I have never disrespected any religion in my life and would never do so," she said on Tuesday.
She alleged that many people from West Bengal had lost their lives during the ongoing Kumbh Mela and demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Yogi Adityanath, should immediately release the promised compensation announced for the families of the victims.
"It would be my demand to the UP government, to CM Yogi Adityanath, that since they have announced ex gratia for the families of those killed in Kumbh Mela, they must immediately release the amounts to them," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat here.
"There are many (Kumbh pilgrims) who have died in accidents, or while attempting to board trains and they all should be compensated," she said.
The UP government had announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each for the families of people who lost their lives during the Kumbh Mela.