Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, on Tuesday, criticised the difficulties faced by common devotees due to the VIP movement at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
Sharing a video showing common devotees walking while a convoy passed along the same road, the SP leader stated in a post on X, “On one hand, devotees in the crowd are being pushed and shoved, with some walking 5 to 10 kilometres on foot, while on the other hand, leaders, officials and their entire families are comfortably seated in cars, honking their horns, teasing the devotees, and heading straight to the Maha Kumbh.”
Attacking the state government for ignoring common people and making them wait for hours in long lines, the SP chief said, “Yogi Ji, who boasts about the systems and spends crores on promoting them, is only benefiting the VIPs. The common people have to stand in long lines or wait for hours to avail the benefits of these systems.”
Taking a jibe at political leaders and government officials for using VIP facilities to take a dip at Triveni Sangam, Akhilesh Yadav said, “It’s hard to understand whether the sins of those who reach the place of faith with VIP facilities are being washed away or are they accumulating more?”
“Officials are thoroughly enjoying the government’s inaction, while the leaders sitting in the government are under the illusion that they can confuse the public with absurd issues during elections and regain their seats,” he added.
Akhilesh Yadav’s attack on the Uttar Pradesh government comes amid videos of many devotees expressing their ordeal while on the way to take a dip at Triveni, Sangam that have surfaced on social media.
Akhilesh Yadav, on Monday, had voiced his discontent over the arrangements made by the state government and urged the administration to prioritise the needs of the pilgrims over VIP arrangements. “The government should ensure smooth transport for pilgrims instead of creating difficulties due to VIP protocols. The Maha Kumbh should be about special arrangements for the devotees, not the dignitaries,” Yadav wrote on X.