Two devotees were killed and seven were injured in a stampede at the Banke Bihari temple. (file)
Mathura:
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav blamed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who visited Mathura on Janmashtami on Sunday, for the August 20 stampede, saying police force was deployed for his safety to control the crowd.
Talking to reporters in Mathura, Akhilesh Yadav said that during the previous Samajwadi Party rule, Janmashtami was celebrated with pomp, but no such incident happened. “The tragedy happened under the BJP government and he (the incident) is responsible for it,” he said.
Mr Yadav took a dig at Yogi Adityanath on his visit to Mathura on Janmashtami, saying, “When he (Adityanath) knew that there is a sea of Krishna devotees on Janmashtami (in Mathura), what was the need to stay there for hours. , The police force, which was meant to control the people, was deployed for that. As a result, there was a shortage of (force) where it was needed, and tragedy struck. ,
Two devotees were killed and seven were injured in a stampede at the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura during Janmashtami celebrations in the early hours of August 20.
Mr Yadav also demanded adequate compensation to the family members of those killed in the incident.
“Rs 50 lakh should be paid to the families of the pilgrims killed in the Banke Bihari temple tragedy,” Mr Yadav said.
On the talk of Vrindavan being converted into a corridor on the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Akhilesh Yadav said the pristine nature of the holy city “should not be tampered with at all”.
The former chief minister also alleged that the BJP was destroying the Braj region instead of developing it.
Replying to a question, the SP chief said that there are many faces in the opposition for the post of Prime Minister, but the BJP has only one.
He also criticized the central government for “rising prices” of commodities, now repealed agricultural laws and unemployment.
Yadav alleged that it was unfortunate that the dreams of the youth were being shattered by schemes like Agneepath Military Recruitment Scheme.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)