Latest news with #Kumbh
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kolkata puja committee says police ‘targeted' them over ‘theme of Op Sindoor' by issuing safety notice
Controversy has erupted between a prominent Durga Puja organising committee in Kolkata and the city police, with the organizers alleging harassment over their puja theme of Operation Sindoor and the police citing serious public safety concerns based on last year's experience. BJP leader Sajal Ghosh, one of the organisers of the Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojonin Durgatsav, said on Wednesday that the Muchipara police station sent a two-page letter to the club's secretary after they announced Operation Sindoor as this year's puja theme. 'We did not put up any advertisement or billboard regarding our theme. It was only a Facebook post on Sunday, and we received a two-page letter on Monday. This is nothing but a disturbance,' Ghosh alleged. He questioned whether other puja organizers in West Bengal had received similar notices, suggesting that Santosh Mitra Square was being singled out. 'It is very unfortunate. I don't think any other big puja has got this notice. Those who have an allergy to the term 'sindoor' are the ones sending this notice,' he said. TMC leader Debangshu Bhattacharya defended the police action, stressing the importance of preventive measures to ensure public safety. 'If the police feel there is a possibility of an incident and take preventive action, that too becomes political these days. We saw how people lost their lives at the Kumbh due to a lack of crowd management. We do not want a repeat of what happened during the Kumbh or the RCB celebration,' Bhattacharya said. He added, 'After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to power, UNESCO recognised Durga Puja. Fortunately, there has been no major incident here despite large-scale celebrations. If the club is being called for a discussion to improve crowd management, it should cooperate instead of criticising.' The letter from Muchipara Police Station to the Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojanin Durgatsav committee, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, outlines specific directives to ensure public safety during the 2025 puja celebrations. It states, 'During last year's celebrations, a massive influx of devotees gathered at the venue. Due to non-compliance with the issued guidelines, public safety was compromised. A near-stampede situation arose, endangering lives.' It also mentions that a case had been registered under various sections including 221 (obstructing public servant), 223 (disobedience to order), 324 (6) (mischief), and 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy). The puja organisers have been asked to submit a detailed mitigation plan covering some directives, and to arrange a meeting with police officials by June 25. These directives include maintaining a proper passage inside the pandal for crowd movement, banning all light and sound shows, laser displays, or similar events inside or outside the pandal, and prohibiting stalls and hawkers near the exit gate. The exit gate must also be wider than the entry gate. Additional safety measures include displaying clear directional signage from BOI More to the pandal, installing a minimum of six CCTV cameras with recording capabilities and a monitoring screen at the Police Control Room, keeping the KMC-adjacent gate inside Santosh Mitra Square open, and deploying at least 250 volunteers during peak hours and 100 during off-peak hours. Other directives include setting up strong barricading from the pandal to BOI More, installing a public address system for police announcements, banning Ferris wheels or amusement rides inside the Mela premises, sharing the puja theme in advance with police for planning, banning any overhead structures between BOI More and the park entrance, and constructing a separate VIP channel between BOI More and the pandal. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
BJP's Praveen Khandelwal calls INDI alliance 'opportunistic', hits out at Akhilesh Yadav's 2027 poll claim
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Praveen Khandelwal on Wednesday criticised Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, accusing the opposition-led INDIA bloc of indulging in 'politics of opportunism' after Yadav said the alliance would contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election together. Reacting to Yadav's statement, Khandelwal said the INDI alliance only stays united when it is convenient, but splits when it is not. 'Firstly, what INDI alliance is he (Akhilesh Yadav) talking about? Where it is not known who is a friend or an enemy. We have seen this in the elections of the Lok Sabha as well, and after that, we have been seeing it continuously in the elections of various states. This is not an alliance but the politics of opportunism in which, when there is convenience, we become one, but when there is inconvenience, we stand against each other,' Khandelwal told ANI. Akhilesh Yadav, during a press conference in Lucknow on Tuesday, said that the INDIA alliance 'remains intact' and would jointly fight the 2027 elections in Uttar Pradesh. Responding to this, Khandelwal claimed Yadav was fearful of the BJP's growing popularity in the state under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's leadership. 'The big promises that Akhilesh Yadav is making are because he is scared that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath, the government is working and making space in the hearts of people of Uttar Pradesh,' he said. On June 17, the SP chief said, 'We don't care about statements made by others. Our INDIA alliance is who want to leave the alliance are free to do so. The INDIA bloc will fight the 2027 UP Assembly elections' Yadav also criticised the state government over the Maha Kumbh mela stampede, stating that the government announced compensation for Kumbh victims, but would not officially name the victims. He said, 'This (UP) government will give Rs 5 lakh in compensation to the Maha Kumbh (stampede) victims, but will not reveal their names officially.' (ANI)
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
INDIA bloc remains 'intact', will contest UP elections unitedly: Akhilesh Yadav
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday asserted that the INDIA bloc remains intact and will unitedly contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 2027. He said that the opposition was not bothered by statements made by 'others' regarding the situation of the INDIA bloc and that those who want to leave the alliance are free to do so. 'We don't care about statements made by others. Our INDIA alliance is who want to leave the alliance are free to do so. The INDIA bloc will fight the 2027 UP Assembly elections,' Yadav told reporters while addressing a press conference. Over the deaths in the Kumbh Mela stampede, Yadav criticised the government and stated that the government announced compensation for Kumbh victims, but would not officially name the victims. 'This (UP) government will give Rs 5 lakh in compensation to the Maha Kumbh (stampede) victims, but will not reveal their names officially,' he added. Meanwhile, Yadav during the day launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and accused him of being out of touch with the issues affecting the people, particularly the weaver community. Speaking at a press conference, Yadav alleged that weavers are exploited by middlemen, who take away their profits. He further alleged that the government has failed to support farmers and is purchasing less than 20 per cent of the wheat crop. The leader also criticised the government's handling of the dairy industry, stating that milk production has come to a halt and the first cow milk plant built has been shut down. (ANI)
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Weavers are exploited by middlemen: SP leader Akhilesh Yadav
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17 (ANI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and accused the CM of being out of touch with the issues affecting the people, particularly the weaver community. Speaking at a press conference, Yadav alleged that weavers are exploited by middlemen, who take away their profits. He further alleged that the government has failed to support farmers and is purchasing less than 20% of the wheat crop. The leader also criticised the government's handling of the dairy industry, stating that milk production has come to a halt and the first cow milk plant built has been shut down. The government has been accused of increasing inflation and unemployment. Yadav also alleged that the BJP has been involved in corruption. The leader further claimed that there are reports of internal conflict within the government, citing clashes between the Deputy CM and the Outgoing CM. Speaking about the healthcare of the state, the SP leader alleged that patients have lost their lives due to incorrect medication over the past decade. Over the deaths in the Kumbh Mela stampede, Yadav criticised the government and stated that the government announced compensation for Kumbh victims, but did not officially name the victims. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav announced that the INDIA alliance will contest the 2027 elections. On Monday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav raised concerns over the recently concluded police recruitment in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the rights of marginalised communities -- PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsakhyak) -- were being overlooked. Demanding transparency, the SP chief questioned the representation of PDA groups among the newly appointed constables.'No government can do recruitment bypassing the rules... The government tells such a huge figure (of recruitment), what is the count of PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsakhyak) amid this? Who is cutting their rights?... The government should tell the number of PDA in this recruitment. This is their (BJP) propaganda...' he said. Earlier, praising the police recruitment in Uttar Pradesh, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that for the first time in history, so many youths got a chance to join the UP police. On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah distributed appointment letters to 60,244 Civil Police Constables of Uttar Pradesh Police in Lucknow. (ANI)
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
BJP Demands Resignation Over Bengaluru Stampede, Siddaramaiah Responds
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has refused to resign in the face of BJP protests over the stampede in Bengaluru during a mega celebration of the local IPL franchise's maiden victory earlier this month. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time in 18 years had become an emotive issue, drawing a massive crowd of supporters to cheer for the team at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4. The unexpected turnout near a narrow entry sparked chaos that led to the stampede. Eleven supporters died, including a 14-year-old girl, with the government being accused of hasty preparation and lack of adequate planning that led to the tragedy. The BJP had called it a "government-manufactured stampede", holding the Siddaramaiah dispensation directly responsible for the tragedy. Responding to the charges, Siddaramaiah said no one had asked for resignations after the Kumbh Mela stampede and the recent air crash that killed 241 people. "Did you ask for a resignation after the stampede at Kumbh Mela? Who is supposed to resign after 242 people died in the Air India were deaths in rail accidents, a bridge collapsed after construction, and 140 people died, who resigned after that?" the Chief Minister asked while speaking to reporters. The tragedies that he referred to were the death of 30 pilgrims during a stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on January 29, the death of 241 passengers and crew members in an air crash last week, and the 2022 Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat. Siddaramaiah clarified he was not using these as a defence, "but what moral right did these people have to demand resignation?" His remarks came as the Karnataka unit of the BJP staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, demanding the resignations of Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Shivakumar, and State Home Minister G Parameshwara. Several top BJP leaders, including state chief BY Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, participated in the protest. Many were detained. Pointing out that 13 days had passed, Mr Vijayendra said the state government has not taken any responsibility and is blaming the police. "Therefore, we demand the Siddaramaiah's resignation," he stated. Responding to Siddaramaiah's rebuttal that deaths occurred at the Kumbh and other events across the country, he alleged the Bengaluru tragedy was due to the irresponsible behaviour of the state government. "Due to their competition, this tragedy has taken place. The sole responsibility lies with the state government, the Chief Minister, and the Deputy Chief Minister," he added.
