Godman Bhole Baba Breaks Silence on Deadly Hathras Stampede

Self-styled godman Bhole Baba addressed the tragic Hathras stampede, calling for justice for those responsible and supporting the victims. Main accused Devprakash Madhukar surrendered, while UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced financial aid. A judicial inquiry is underway.

Self-styled godman Suraj Pal Singh, also known as "Bhole Baba," broke his silence on Saturday regarding the Hathras stampede that resulted in the deaths of 121 people, primarily women and children. In a video statement, Bhole Baba expressed sorrow and vowed that those responsible for the chaos would face consequences. He conveyed his condolences for the tragedy that occurred earlier this week during a 'Satsang' in Fulari village, Hathras district.

Bhole Baba said, "I am deeply saddened by the incident of July 2. May God give us the strength to bear this pain. Please keep faith in the government and the administration. I have faith that those who created the chaos will not be spared. Through my lawyer AP Singh, I have requested the committee members to stand by the bereaved families and the injured and assist them throughout their lives." According to the police FIR, approximately 250,000 people had gathered, despite only 80,000 being permitted.

Meanwhile, the main accused, Devprakash Madhukar, surrendered to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Special Task Force (STF), and Uttar Pradesh police, according to his Advocate AP Singh's video statement on Friday. Singh stated, "Devprakash Madhukar, named in the FIR in the Hathras case as the main organizer, has surrendered to the SIT, STF, and Police. We have handed him over for a thorough investigation. His health, being a heart patient, should be taken care of, and nothing wrong should happen to him."

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met with the victims' families in Hathras. En route to Hathras, Gandhi also stopped in Aligarh to meet additional victims’ families.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission chaired by Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava has been established to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation.

The Judicial Commission will investigate the stampede over the next two months and submit its findings to the State Government. Preliminary reports indicate that the stampede occurred when devotees were stopped by Bhole Baba’s security personnel as they rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher's feet, leading to a chaotic push that resulted in the fatal stampede.