West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ignited a political firestorm by criticizing the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over alleged mismanagement at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. She claimed that the largest spiritual gathering had turned into ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ (Death Kumbh) due to poor planning and lack of arrangements for the common people.

Her comments have triggered a sharp reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused her of attacking Hindu beliefs and called for large-scale protests by Hindu saints and seers.

Mamata Banerjee’s Criticism of Maha Kumbh Management

Speaking during the Budget Session of the West Bengal Assembly, Mamata Banerjee alleged that:

• Poor planning has led to chaos and mismanagement at Maha Kumbh.
• Rich and VIPs get premium camps for as high as ₹1 lakh, while the poor struggle for basic facilities.
• Stampede deaths and injuries expose the failure of the Uttar Pradesh administration.

"Maha Kumbh has turned into ‘Mrityu Kumbh’. I respect Maha Kumbh and Maa Ganga, but there is no proper planning. How many people have been rescued? For VIPs, all facilities are available, but for the poor, there is nothing," she remarked.

She further slammed the BJP government, accusing it of "selling religion to divide the country" and emphasized that in West Bengal’s Ganga Sagar Mela, VIP culture is not allowed.

Deadly Stampede & Allegations of Mishandling

Her comments come in the wake of the January 29 stampede at Maha Kumbh’s Sangam area, which resulted in:

• 30 deaths
• 60 injuries
• Mass overcrowding as crores of devotees gathered for Mauni Amavasya holy dip

Banerjee raised serious concerns about how the deaths were handled, claiming that:

• Dead bodies were sent to West Bengal without post-mortems or death certificates.
• Authorities denied compensation by attributing deaths to heart attacks rather than mishandling.

"They’ll claim it was a heart attack and avoid responsibility. We conducted post-mortems locally because bodies arrived without proper documentation," she alleged.

BJP’s Strong Reaction: ‘Attack on Hindus’

The BJP came out in full force against Mamata Banerjee, calling her remarks an insult to Hindu traditions and Maha Kumbh.

BJP’s Response:

• Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari accused Banerjee of attacking Hindu sentiments.
• Called upon saints, seers, and the Hindu community to register mass protests against her statement.
• BJP MLAs staged protests inside and outside the West Bengal Assembly, demanding an apology.

"Mamata Banerjee called Maha Kumbh ‘Mrityu Kumbh’. This is an attack on Hindus. If you are a true Hindu, rise above politics and oppose these words strongly," Adhikari stated.

Political Tensions Rise

The controversy over Maha Kumbh management has now turned into a political and religious flashpoint. With the BJP mobilizing protests and Mamata Banerjee standing firm on her criticism, the issue is expected to escalate further in the coming days.

With millions of devotees participating in Maha Kumbh, the Yogi Adityanath government is now under pressure to ensure better crowd management and safety measures amid growing political scrutiny.