Though the Kumbh Mela held recently at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh elicited praise from various quarters, the head of Matri Sadan in Haridwar, Swami Shivanand has criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for allegedly killing lakhs of fishes in the Ganga river there by cleaning it using chlorine. He also lambasted the statement by Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) for praising management of the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela.
Shivanand of Matri Sadan said, “The president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, Narendra Giri had spoken volumes in praise of Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and said that the Kumbh Mela to be held in Haridwar would also be similarly magnificent. The council which was made for saving the religion, is now destructing the religion,” he alleged. He further said that there may have been no special arrangements for the common man but for the VIPs it was indeed magnificent. He said because of the use of chlorine for cleaning of water in the Ganga, lakhs of fishes had died. The NGT has also issued a report about the condition of the aream, he added.
The Matri Sadan head further alleged that the ABAP president Narendra Giri had raised big apartments on the land of Niranjani Akhada and had tied up with big builders. Further, office bearers of the Akhadas were selling the land to the builders, he alleged.