Why cash compensation was given to Kumbh victims’ kin, asks Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow, June 10 (IANS) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday mounted attack on Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath government, accusing it of misleading the public and concealing facts on the number of deaths that occurred during the Maha Kumbh Mela earlier this year and distribution of cash to the kin of victims who died in the stampede.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav said the government’s response to the tragedy has been marked by lies, cover-ups, and a lack of accountability.

“37 vs 82. This is not just about hiding figures. It’s about lying on the floor of the House,” he said.

Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the state government was deliberately withholding the actual number of deaths and questioned the mysterious cash compensation that was reportedly distributed to some victims’ families.

“Why was cash given instead of formal, accountable compensation? Who authorised it? Where did the money come from — and more importantly, where did it go when it wasn’t distributed?” he asked.

He raised a series of specific and pointed questions directed at the government.

“Under which rule or order was the decision taken to distribute cash? Who issued the instructions for this? Is there a written directive to support this action? Were there any irregularities or misuse of funds in this process? And who pressured officials to allegedly alter the cause of death on official records?” he asked.

Akhilesh Yadav accused the government of engaging in “information management” to suppress the truth and control the narrative, but warned that such tactics would not work for long.

“This is not the end, it is just the beginning of uncovering the truth — a truth that will peel away every layer of lies, remove every mask, and expose every act of deception,” he said.

He also took aim at BJP leaders more broadly, saying they have become “drunk on power”.

“They are sitting atop a mountain of falsehoods and claiming moral authority. But even their own people who peddle fake data are now being exposed,” he said.

–IANS

SKP/CEO