On Friday, 5th July, the SIT formed to investigate the Hathras stampede delivered its initial report on the tragic incident, which killed at least 123 people earlier this week. Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar and Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh submitted the 15-page report to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence at 5, Kalidas Marg.
The stampede happened during ‘Satsang’ organized on Tuesday, 2nd July by ‘religious preacher’ Narayan Saakar Hari, commonly referred to as ‘Bhole Baba’. CM Yogi Adityanath had directed the SIT to submit the findings within 24 hours. This SIT report was prepared by ADG Agra Anupam Kulsreshtha and Aligarh Commissioner Chaitra V. The full 15-page report includes statements from approximately 100 people, including the DM and the SP. The SIT members are said to have interviewed administrative officials, event attendees, and sevadars (volunteers) to determine the reason for the stampede.
As reported exclusively by ABP news, the report submitted by the SIT mentions political connections of the ‘Bhole Baba’. It is believed that ‘Bhole Baba’ who fled from the spot after seeing the stampede, helped a particular political party in the recently happened Lok Sabha elections. The report evidently pointed towards a political conspiracy that still remains officially unexposed.
CM Yogi indicates a political conspiracy
CM Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the event and revealed that this incident was a political conspiracy. “Everyone knows with whom the gentleman’s (preacher) photos are and with whom he has political connections. You must have seen that during the rallies in the past days, where was the stampede and who was behind it? It is necessary for us to know about it. Those who play with the lives of innocent people will be held accountable for this,” he said.
#WATCH | On the Hathras stampede incident, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says "Some people have the tendency to politicise such sad and painful incidents. These people have the nature of 'chori bhi aur seenazori bhi'. Everyone knows with whom the gentleman's (preacher) photos… pic.twitter.com/gNCHNJdpNz
— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024
It is important to note that Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav was seen attending ‘Bhole Baba’s events in the past. The videos and photos of Yadav have gone viral over the internet in which he can be seen praising Bhole Baba and his ‘Godly activities.
He had also posted his visit to Bhole Baba’s ashram on X. “May Narayan Sarkar be praised forever in the universe,” he had written.
Concerns have also been raised about the roles of various local authorities, sevadars, event organizers, and other officials stationed there for failing to estimate the number of people in attendance. The permission for the event was granted for only 80,000 people to attend Bhole Baba’s satsang but around 2.5 lakh people gathered at the event.
As per the reports, CM Yogi Adityanath visited some of the families who lost their loved ones in the stampede. The Chief Minister assured justice and condemned ‘Bhole Baba’ for fleeing from the spot after the stampede occurred.
Rahul Gandhi’s selective family visit in Hathras and Aligarh
Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also visited Hathras and Aligarh to visit the families who lost their loved ones in the stampede. He met the families and later demanded strict punishment against those involved. He also asked the state to provide compensation to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede.
“I don’t want to say this from a political prism but there have been deficiencies on the part of the administration and the important thing is that maximum compensation should be given as they are poor families,” he said. “I had a personal conversation with the family members of the deceased and they told me that there was no police arrangement. They are in shock and I just wanted to understand their situation,” he added.
#WATCH | Hathras, UP: After meeting the victims of the stampede, Congress MP and LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says "It is a sad incident. Several people have died. I don't want to say this from a political prism but there have been deficiencies on the part of the administration… pic.twitter.com/n2CXvZztJx
— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2024
However, it is important to note that several people from Hathras, Aligarh, Eta, Badaun, Mainpur, Shahjahanpur, Itawa, Kapnur, Agra, Noida, etc visited the event and several of these lost their lives. However, Gandhi visited families only from Hathras and Aligarh where the candidates of BJP got elected in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Anup Valmiki of BJP won Hathras by a margin of around 2.47 lakh votes and Satish Gautam won the Aligarh seat by a margin of 15647 votes.
Akhilesh Yadav avoids answering media on Hathras event
Gandhi selectively avoided meeting families of the deceased from Mainpur, Eta, Badaun, and Itawa where Samajwadi Party candidates Dimple Yadav, Devesh Shakya, Aditya Yadava, and Jitendra Dohre retained LS seats. On the other hand, when asked about the Hathras incident, Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav slammed the journalists and asked them to ‘stop working for BJP’.
Later, he praised the media for ‘exposing the truth’. He slammed the state CM for calling it a political conspiracy. “The government wants to hide everything. Who knows this better than you (the Media)?…The government cannot run away from its responsibilities. I don’t think there is a conspiracy behind this (incident)” he opined.
#WATCH | Lucknow | On Hathras stampede incident, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav says, "…The government wants to hide everything. Who knows this better than you (the Media)?…The government cannot run away from its responsibilities. I don't think there is a conspiracy… pic.twitter.com/psoESCqNdT
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 4, 2024
Witnesses blame ‘Bhole Baba’ for stampede, call him a dhongi
The witnesses of the incident meanwhile communicated to the media and unfolded how the stampede actually happened. One of the locals while talking to India TV stated that around 2.5 lakh people had gathered at the spot and after the satsang, ‘Bhole Baba’ had asked the crowd to wait for ‘charan raj’ (darshan of earth touched by baba). “He stopped the public for charan raj and later signalled the organizers to release them for dashan. Following this all the people rained for charan raj resulting in the stampede,” said one of the witnesses who lost his mother in the stampede. He also blamed ‘Bhole Baba’ for the stampede and called him a ‘dhongi’.
“If he was real God, he should have foreseen this. He should have stopped people from rushing. He should have done something to save lives of the people. But instead he fled from the spot. He is a dhongi, a cheat,” he added.
Another woman who lost her sister in the event also revealed that there were a few people who were massively drunk in the event and as the crowd rushed for charan raj, these drunkards pushed people strongly leading to stampede-like situation. So far, 123 people have lost their lives in the incident. Several others are injured and have been hospitalised.
FIR filed, ‘Bhole Baba’s name kept away
Notably, an FIR has been filed in the case, however, ‘Bhole Baba’ has not been mentioned in the complaint. The UP government has also formed a three-member judicial committee to investigate the event. ‘Bhole Baba’s lawyer previously denied the claim that the stampede occurred due to a rush for ‘charan raj’. AP Singh, a Supreme Court lawyer, claimed that Bhole Baba never requested anyone to touch his feet. He indicated that ‘Bhole Baba’ had nothing to do with the stampede and that it was all people’s rush that led to 123 deaths so far.
Further investigations in the case are underway.
