Mamata Banerjee on Sunday called out the saffron regime over yet another instance of Mahakumbh-related mismanagement claiming lives, condoling the New Delhi station stampede deaths late on Saturday.
Her party demanded the resignation of Ashwini Vaishnaw as railway minister and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “total incompetence”.
“The tragic loss of 18 lives in the Delhi stampede is deeply heartbreaking. This painful incident highlights the importance of careful planning and management, especially when it comes to the safety of citizens,” wrote the Bengal chief minister in a statement on X.
Mamata’s persistent bellicosity on such matters suggests her keenness to keep putting salt to the smarting Mahakumbh wounds of the saffron ecosystem.
“Pilgrims on their way to the Maha Kumbh should have been met with proper support and facilities, not distress. It is essential to ensure that such journeys are safe and well-organized,” she added. “My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, and I pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
The Mahakumbh stampede in Allahabad on January 29 killed at least 30 persons — 30 being the official number — and left many more injured. The incident had been a thorn for the Hindutva brigade as it dealt a body blow to their hardliner Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath after no proverbial stone was left unturned to ensure the use of the socio-religious festival as a platform to elevate him as Modi's heir-apparent.
A fortnight later, at least 18 persons have been reportedly killed and many others injured in the stampede that broke out late on Saturday night at the national capital’s railway station, where a large crowd was waiting to board trains for Allahabad, the Mahakumbh venue.
Trinamool is clearly unwilling to lose the momentum on the Mahakumbh mismanagement issue, more so now that a railways angle is part of the narrative. Former NDA and UPA railway minister Mamata usually remains hawkeyed on any mishandling of the crucial utility.
Trinamool state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the New Delhi station incident was “unfortunate, reprehensible… and the result of flagrant mismanagement” by the railways under the Modi government.
“This was indubitably yet another instance of their total failure in ensuring passenger safety. Outsiders are invading reserved coaches, there is unbridled disorder, bedlam, ill-treatment of passengers… and now there is this terrible stampede,” said Ghosh.
“The Union railway minister, as we all know by now, cares only about publicity on social and mainstream media. How many more lives have to be lost before this man wakes up to the fact that he has no moral right whatsoever to continue in that office?” he asked.
TMC's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Sagarika Ghose, accused the Prime Minister of “total incompetence”.
“The @narendramodi government has totally failed to ensure proper crowd management at the #KumbhMela2025 and for those journeying to the Kumbh. The @BJP4India keeps trying to cover up instead of taking responsibility,” she wrote on X.
“We demand accountability for the deaths at #NewDelhiRailwaystation and send prayers for the bereaved families who have suffered in this shocking tragedy,” added Ghose. “Innocent lives are being lost because of Modi’s total incompetence.”
She accused the saffron regime of initially attempting a cover-up.
“First @narendramodi and his @BJP4India deny any stampede. Then they call it a rumour. Then they admit a "few people” “injured.” Then @BJP4India is forced (to) accept a ‘few’ “may have” died,” wrote Ghose on X.
“The jumla party and its jumla government keeps covering up deaths and tragedy AGAIN and AGAIN and callously playing with the lives of Indian citizens,” she added. “The ‘MINIMUM GOVERNANCE, MAXIMUM PUBLICITY mantra of the Modi government is again exposed by the shocking New Delhi station stampede. Tragic beyond words.”
Last Wednesday, the Bengal chief minister accused the Adityanath government of attempting to suppress the real extent of the Mahakumbh stampede last month, alleging that thousands of lives may have been lost then instead of the official claim of 30.
“What did they do exactly? So many people died… but they are not even releasing the real death toll,” she had alleged. "Nobody knows the actual figures (death toll),” she had said. “Thousands may have died… thousands.”
