Opposition leaders have criticised the management of Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee terming it 'Mrityu kumbh' after stampede incidents.
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00:00The next political name-calling takes center stage over Mahakumbh.
00:22Another up-in-arms corners the Yogi Adityanath Sarkar.
00:33Mamata Banerjee terms Mahakumbh as Mrityukumbh.
00:45Akhilesh Yadav's mismanagement claim sparks off another controversy.
00:52Can we think of a hypocrite in a religious event?
01:01BJP hits back with the opposition hostile to Hindu's charge.
01:14Political showdown over Mahakumbh escalates and that's our top focus on India First.
01:23For the believers of Sanatan Dharm, the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj is being hailed as Amritkumbh.
01:32Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stirred a harnest nest.
01:37She's called it Mrityukumbh after the stampede not just at the New Delhi railway station
01:42and reports of bodies being sent back from the Prayagraj stampede during the Mauni Amavasya without a post-mortem.
01:49But Mamata Banerjee isn't the only leader from the opposition in the eye of a storm.
01:53From Lalu Yadav who called it Faltu to Akhilesh Yadav to Malik Arjun Kharge,
01:59the opposition has strained its guns on the Yogi Adityanath government's mismanagement as they put it.
02:06To the BJP hitting back saying target the mismanagement if you so wish
02:12but why call the Amritsnaan or the Mahakumbh Mrityukumbh?
02:18They claim, the BJP claims it's minority appeasement.
02:21We get you all sides of the story, I'm Gaurav Sawant as always.
02:24Let's get started with the headlines on India First.
02:31Gyanesh Kumar appointed the new CEC, Rahul Gandhi questions the selection panel,
02:35says it violates the Supreme Court order, the top court to hear plea against appointment tomorrow.
02:47Supreme Court orders beer biceps and associates to stop airing old shows,
02:53calls it disgusting and an insult to parents but gives relief from arrest.
02:58Supreme Court seeks law to regulate obscene content online.
03:06Big revelations in the Delhi station stampede case.
03:11Report reveals there was a 40 minute delay in distress call to the fire department.
03:23Kaling University unrest peaks over a Nepalese student's suicide.
03:28Her ex-boyfriend and five college officials have been arrested.
03:32College apologises for harassing Nepalese students who protested against the death.
03:45US and Russia appoint teams to work on ending the Ukraine conflict.
03:49Kremlin says President Putin ready to hold talks with President Zelensky if necessary.
04:02India and Qatar have put Pakistan state-sponsored radical Islamist terror on notice.
04:13India and Qatar have condemned terror in all its forms and manifestations including cross-border terrorism.
04:21India uses the word cross-border terrorism in context of Pakistan state-sponsored radical Islamist terror.
04:27India and Qatar are to cooperate on combating the menace of cross-border terrorism
04:32through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms.
04:35The joint statement after the meeting between the Emir of Qatar,
04:39His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi
04:44includes conversation on enhanced cooperation on infiltration and on intelligence sharing.
04:50India and Qatar are to cooperate in law enforcement,
04:53on drug trafficking, on cyber crimes and transnational crimes.
04:59The two countries will work to prevent the use of cyberspace for terrorism, radicalisation and disturbing social harmony.
05:08There are also major agreements and MOUs on energy, tourism and on investment.
05:14Let's listen in to Arun Kumar, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs on the outcomes.
05:20India and Qatar share a very vibrant partnership in the area of energy.
05:25Qatar is a major source of LNG for India.
05:29Both leaders today noted that in February 2024, Qatar Energy and Petronet LNG Ltd.
05:36had signed an agreement for supply of 7.5 million metric tons per annum of LNG from Qatar to India for 20 years starting 2028.
05:46Both leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen and broaden the energy partnership including exploring mutual investments.
05:57Two agreements and five memorandums of understanding have been signed during the state visit of His Highness the Emir.
06:08And to our top story, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stirred a hornet's nest
06:13calling the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj, Vrityukumbh after the stampede at the New Delhi railway station
06:19and when bodies of devotees killed in the Prayagraj stampede were sent back according to the Chief Minister of Bengal without a post-mortem to Bengal.
06:27But she is not the only one. From Lalu Yadav who called the Mahakumbh faaltoo to Akhilesh Yadav
06:32who has repeatedly highlighted the mismanagement to Mallika Arjun Karge, the attacks have been relentless.
06:37The BJP has hit back with minority appeasement politics of the opposition charge. Listen.
07:08The Mahakumbh, a revered spiritual event in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj has turned into a political battleground
07:17as leaders across party lines voice their opinions at the mismanagement.
07:23Opposition parties have launched fierce attacks on the centre and the Uttar Pradesh government
07:29accusing them of mismanagement and of fostering a VVIP culture at the Mahakumbh.
07:35West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee dubbed the event as Mrityukumbh following the tragic stampede that claimed lives on January 29.
07:45I called it Mrityukumbh. It has become Mrityukumbh.
07:51But the death toll of so many people due to the lack of proper planning.
07:57How can you call it Mrityukumbh? How can you call it Mrityukumbh?
08:02BJP was quick to fire back accusing Banerjee of disdain and hostility towards Hindus.
08:09This is a protest against Hindus, against Mahakumbh.
08:15Raise your voice against the anti-Hindu movement.
08:21If you are a true Hindu, then rise above politics and oppose Mamata Banerjee's misuse of words.
08:33Samajwadi party Akhilesh Yadav has been relentless in his criticism
08:38urging the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government to extend the Kumbh dates if they can't manage the overwhelming crowds.
08:46On a large scale, the arrangements are bad.
08:50The sad part is that the Chief Minister has said that we are arranging for 100 crore people.
08:56People have lost their lives.
08:59We don't know who has lost their lives.
09:02We don't know how many people have lost their lives.
09:04This is why we are demanding that the Kumbh dates be extended.
09:10The Yogi Adityanath-led UP government is continuously committing mischief
09:16by using the anti-Hindu movement as a tool to instigate the movement.
09:27This is a new manifestation of lies and lies.
09:33Adding fuel to the fire, RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav dismissed Mahakumbh as useless
09:39questioning the government's priorities.
09:42What will you demand? The way the crowd is increasing in Kumbh...
09:47What is the point of Kumbh? It is useless.
09:53Congress Chief Malik Arjun Khadge too weighed in
09:57accusing BJP leaders of competing to take dips in the Ganga
10:01while the country's poor continue to suffer in silence.
10:04Is taking a dip in the Ganga going to help the poor?
10:08When a child is dying of starvation,
10:11when a child is not going to school,
10:14when the workers are not getting work,
10:17when this is happening,
10:19these people are spending thousands of rupees
10:23and taking a dip in the competition.
10:26As the political stakes rise, the Mahakumbh's sacred waters
10:30are now deeply entangled in political currents.
10:34Bureau report, India Today.
11:00He's saying that it's an excuse for Muslim appeasement politics.
11:04Joining me on India First is Tauseef Ahmed Khan.
11:07He's an advocate and a political analyst.
11:09Will give us the Trimble Congress perspective.
11:11Charu Pragya represents the Bharatiya Janata Party.
11:14He's the national spokesperson of the BJP.
11:16Dr. Avdheesh Puri Maharaj is the Peethadheeshwar
11:19of the Swastik Peeth at Ujjain.
11:22And he'll tell us about how the Sanatan Dharam followers
11:26are viewing this politics around this.
11:27And I want to begin by asking Dr. Avdheesh Anand Puri Maharaj ji.
11:32Maharaj ji, Mahakumbh or Mrityukumbh,
11:35how are you viewing Mamata Banerjee's statement?
11:40The words she used.
11:42As far as I understand,
11:45Mamata Banerjee is giving a crazy statement.
11:51Even a crazy woman wouldn't say something like this.
11:54Mamata Banerjee's statement has not only insulted Mahakumbh,
12:00but her statement has also insulted the entire Sanatan Dharam.
12:06She's a respected Chief Minister.
12:09I would request you, Maharaj ji,
12:12what is your opinion on this?
12:18Mamata Banerjee is a respected Chief Minister of a state.
12:20But how are you viewing her statement?
12:25If a respected person plays with the feelings of crores of people,
12:31hurts their feelings,
12:33insults Dharam,
12:35insults Sanatan,
12:37then his respect cannot remain in people's hearts.
12:40A respected person should also respect the feelings of people.
12:45When you call Mahakumbh Mrityukumbh,
12:47did he ever think in his dreams
12:50that 50 crore people can bathe in Ahemdhai spot?
12:56Did he ever think of such a big crowd management?
13:00Did Mamata Banerjee ever do it?
13:02Did he ever dream about it?
13:04If not, then why should he praise such a big crowd management?
13:09How should he blame and accuse?
13:12He should be insulted.
13:13Such a big crowd management has been harmed.
13:16We cannot ignore it.
13:18The lack of administration, if it is being made public.
13:22But stay with me for a minute.
13:24Tauseef Ahmed Khan, Mamata Banerjee is a very seasoned political leader.
13:29Calling the Mahakumbh Mrityukumbh,
13:32is that a very well thought out move?
13:35With what aim in mind, sir, in your appreciation?
13:38No, it was the government's responsibility
13:42to properly organize the event.
13:45And because of their mismanagement,
13:48there are deaths happening.
13:50It is a fact. No one can deny it today.
13:52I heard someone saying that the sacred water of Mahakumbh
13:56is deeply entangled in political battle.
13:59No, the sacred water of Mahakumbh is deeply entangled
14:03in faecal bacteria, in human and animal excreta.
14:07That's the Pollution Control Board report.
14:10That's the Green Tribunal Board report.
14:13So, it is obvious that a Chief Minister of West Bengal
14:18who has seen that the people from the state,
14:21their dead bodies returning from Mahakumbh,
14:23will question the Uttar Pradesh government.
14:25What arrangements did they make?
14:27Why are people dying because of this mismanagement
14:30of the state government of Uttar Pradesh?
14:32The state government should not be so sensitive.
14:34They should be able to take this in a constructive way.
14:38The criticism by the Mamata Banerjee government
14:41or Mamata Banerjee as a Chief Minister
14:43should be taken by Yogi Adityanath
14:45in a constructive manner and improve the facilities.
14:48There are separate facilities for rich.
14:50They pay one lakh rupees, they get tents,
14:52they get special entry,
14:54they get special access for the snan.
14:56Whereas the other, the mass population,
14:59they have to wait for 15 hours.
15:01The dead bodies are not being performed post-mortem.
15:04In a constructive way,
15:06the state government of Uttar Pradesh
15:08must take this criticism from all the opposition leaders
15:11and do a better job.
15:13Mahakumbh was expected
15:15that a lot of people will turn up for this event.
15:18Give me a moment to bring Charu Pragya into this conversation.
15:22Charu Pragya, it is a fact,
15:24devotees lost their lives at Prayagraj.
15:27Devotees lost their lives at the New Delhi railway station.
15:30The opposition says take this criticism
15:31where lives have been lost
15:33in the correct perspective.
15:35Why is BJP so upset
15:37if the combined opposition
15:39is exposing the mismanagement?
15:43Gaurav, good evening.
15:45My issue with all these topics of discussion
15:49is that don't you think the opposition
15:51is being terribly selective in their attacks?
15:53This is a form of vulture politics and nothing else.
15:56The queen of blood politics
15:58is talking about the Mahakumbh
16:01in such unfavourable terms
16:03that I feel ashamed to say
16:05that she's a leader in my country.
16:07It is that bad.
16:09Let's understand one thing.
16:11Every time an untoward accident happens
16:13and I'm talking about this
16:15in a non-political context
16:17in any part of the world,
16:19can any government do to stop it?
16:21Please be honest about this.
16:23The worst stampedes in history
16:25have happened at Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
16:27Tauseef, do you have the courage
16:29to speak about those and give those numbers out?
16:31Yes, the terrible happened
16:33and yes, the government has taken
16:35full onus and responsibility.
16:37But for you, this is not about
16:39attacking the government.
16:41It has come right down to a point
16:43where I feel our very dharma, our aastha,
16:45our religion is being attacked
16:47time and time again.
16:49Otherwise, why did you have to speak nonsense?
16:51Why did you have to speak death?
16:53Your criticism is not pointed at the government.
16:55Your criticism is not pointed at my political party
16:57that you can disagree with.
16:59Your criticism, fair and square,
17:01this is your political game.
17:03Excuse me?
17:05This is the political game.
17:07One by one.
17:09Sir, when you were speaking,
17:11I did not interrupt.
17:13Neither did she, nor did Maharaj ji.
17:15Let her finish.
17:17I am coming to you after this.
17:19See, when you say Mrityu Kumbh,
17:21are you talking about the Bharatiya Janata Party?
17:23Of course you are not.
17:25You are only talking about dharma as it is.
17:27Otherwise, why would you not even
17:29get down to understanding the fact
17:31that India's 140 crore population,
17:33approximately 50 crore people
17:35have already visited that.
17:3750 crore is a massive number.
17:39It's a number which you can't even comprehend
17:41at a point like this.
17:43Let me bring in Tausif Ahmed Khan to respond.
17:45Go on.
17:47Go on.
17:49Go on.
17:51Go on.
17:53Let's take this one by one.
17:55You have raised certain points.
17:57Let Tausif Ahmed Khan respond.
17:59Sir, Charu Pragya points out
18:01that there have been massacres
18:03caused during stampedes
18:05that have taken place
18:07not one year,
18:09but over several hajj pilgrimages.
18:11Not in hundreds,
18:13but in thousands,
18:15people have died.
18:17Gaurav, Gaurav, Gaurav,
18:19Gaurav, Gaurav, Gaurav,
18:21Gaurav, Gaurav, Gaurav,
18:23Gaurav, Gaurav, Gaurav,
18:25Gaurav, Gaurav, Gaurav,
18:27Gaurav, Gaurav, Gaurav,
18:28I'm not interrupting.
18:30I'm not interrupting.
18:32Ma'am, let him respond
18:34to the point you've raised.
18:36It's not about religion,
18:38it's about any gathering
18:40of a large number of people
18:42in a football stadium.
18:44Charu, please, you speak at your time.
18:46Gaurav, you see,
18:48where is the criticism coming from?
18:51People, the residents of Bengal
18:53who had gone to Kumbh,
18:55their families,
18:56they are crying,
18:57their dead bodies coming from there.
18:59Some of them,
19:00they had to wait long
19:01for their dead bodies.
19:02What is the arrangement
19:03that the Uttar Pradesh
19:04government has done?
19:06Is the chief minister
19:07asking another chief minister,
19:09her counterpart,
19:10because she knows
19:11it is the responsibility
19:12of the state government,
19:13it is the responsibility
19:14of the government
19:15which is organizing this event
19:16of this scale,
19:17that they must provide water
19:19which is suitable
19:20for bathing.
19:21According to the law,
19:22there's a pollution control board
19:23saying that there's
19:24a high level
19:25of faecal bacteria
19:27coming from the human
19:28and animal excreta
19:29running in the water
19:30where people are taking dip.
19:32It is before us
19:34that tents were caught fire,
19:38that there were stampede
19:39and deaths occurring
19:40because of the fire,
19:41because of the stampede,
19:42because of the mismanagement
19:44and ill-management
19:45and ill-organization
19:46of the government.
19:47Therefore,
19:48Mamata Banerjee
19:49has all the rights.
19:50Why you did not perform
19:51the post-mortem
19:52of the dead bodies
19:53belonging to West Bengal,
19:54because why we've been
19:55bound to those
19:56dead bodies?
19:57All these points,
19:58but I take that
19:59the question that was put to you was
20:00would any political leader
20:02in the opposition
20:03when sadly devotees
20:05lose their lives in hajj,
20:07compare that to mrityu
20:09or faltu
20:10was the question
20:11that was put to you.
20:12However,
20:13now Charu Pragya
20:14wants to respond to you.
20:15Go ahead, Mam, respond.
20:16No, Saudi Arabia
20:17is not collecting tax
20:18from Indian citizens.
20:19We are taxpayer
20:20to the Indian government.
20:21Are we...
20:22Okay, I'm going to talk
20:23about India now.
20:24Tauseef, I'm going to talk
20:25strictly about India now.
20:26Just last year,
20:27end of last year,
20:28there was a stampede
20:29in Tamil Nadu
20:30during a saree distribution.
20:31Nothing to do with religion,
20:32just a large number of people.
20:34There have been
20:35stampedes inside nightclubs,
20:37inside football stadiums,
20:38after firework shows.
20:39So please,
20:40let's understand
20:41that an accident
20:42is not by planning.
20:44An accident can happen,
20:46but how is it
20:47that you deal with it?
20:48Aren't you understanding
20:49that this government
20:50is mourning
20:51every single life
20:52lost far more
20:53than you are?
20:54And all you can do
20:55at a time like this
20:56is be a political vulture?
20:57Let's also understand
20:58in 2013,
20:59when the Kumbh happened
21:00at Prayagraj,
21:01who was in charge?
21:02Who was put in charge
21:03by your own sister party,
21:04by your own
21:05India Alliance partner?
21:06It was Azam Khan.
21:07Out of that
21:08massive majority
21:09that Samajwadi Party won,
21:11you couldn't even find
21:12one Hindu
21:13to lead the Kumbh.
21:14That is the importance
21:15that it holds for you.
21:16Or rather,
21:17the lack of it.
21:18That is what you did.
21:19And mismanagement
21:20happened then, right?
21:21There were 45 devotees
21:22who lost their lives
21:23because of mismanagement.
21:24Because of a VIP came
21:25and you could do
21:26nothing afterwards.
21:27But you will have
21:28nothing to say about that.
21:29I want to bring in
21:30Avdesh Puri ji Maharaj
21:31once again
21:32into this conversation.
21:33You heard
21:34Mamata Banerjee,
21:35but now
21:36let's talk about
21:37Lalu Yadav.
21:38He is the
21:39senior leader
21:40of RJD.
21:41Former Chief Minister
21:42of Bihar.
21:43Former Railway Minister.
21:44When he
21:45calls the Mahakumbh
21:46useless
21:47or uses
21:48such words,
21:49you
21:50how do
21:51you see
21:52it?
21:53If there is a
21:54gathering of
21:5550 crore people
21:56who believe
21:57in Sanatan Dharma
21:58in one place,
21:59what is
22:00the
22:01Mahakumbh
22:02useless?
22:03I am
22:04surprised
22:05that
22:06these people
22:07were born
22:08in this
22:09India.
22:10They do
22:11politics
22:12of this
22:13India.
22:14They
22:15vote for
22:16people
22:17of
22:18India.
22:19I will
22:20try to
22:21get in
22:22touch with
22:23you again.
22:24But
22:25Tauseef Khan,
22:26can any
22:27political leader
22:28use words
22:29like
22:30useless
22:31for
22:32Kumbh
22:33or
22:34congregation
22:35of any
22:36other
22:37religion?
22:38Now,
22:39where are
22:40your
22:41lawyers
22:42at?
22:43Where
22:44are
22:45your
22:46analysts
22:47at?
22:48Where
22:49are
22:50your
22:51lawyers
22:52at?
22:53Where
22:54are
22:55your
22:56lawyers
22:57at?
22:58Where
22:59are
23:00your
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