Akhilesh Yadav Urges Army Intervention Amid Mahakumbh Tragedy

Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav critiques government response to Mahakumbh stampede while demanding Army's help. He emphasizes on searching for the missing over ongoing Budget session. The stampede claimed 30 lives amid Shahi Snan denial. Union Finance Minister presents her eighth Budget amid ongoing crisis.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav voiced strong criticism on Saturday over the government's response to the Mahakumbh tragedy, stressing the urgency of finding the missing rather than focusing solely on the ongoing Budget session. Addressing the press before the Union Budget presentation, Yadav demanded swift action and urged for the Army's intervention. He underscored the unique refusal of Shahi Snan by saints, marking an unprecedented event.

"Currently, the search for missing persons at Mahakumbh is of paramount importance," Yadav asserted. He pointed out the high-profile visits to the site, including those by the Chief Minister, Union Home Minister, and Vice President, with the Prime Minister also scheduled. Yadav criticized the government's inability to provide an accurate count of the deceased and missing, attributing significant losses to Hindus. He reiterated his previous call for Army deployment, noting the unusual denial of Shahi Snan by saints.

The tragedy unfolded during the Mauni Amavasya ritual, resulting in 30 deaths and injuring 60 people. Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eighth consecutive Budget in the Lok Sabha, detailing fiscal policies and taxation reforms among other key initiatives. Earlier, Sitharaman, along with Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, met with President Droupadi Murmu, who extended a traditional gesture of good luck by offering 'dahi-chini' to the Finance Minister at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (ANI)