Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hit back at his Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, over her comments about the death of 30 people in the Maha Kumbh stampede.
Ms Banerjee had slammed the incident, calling the Maha Kumbh a 'Mrityu' ('death') Kumbh.
Speaking in the UP Assembly a furious Chief Minister slammed Ms Banerjee, declaring that over 56 crore people had taken a 'holy dip' in the 'sangam' since the Kumbh began and accusing her of making "baseless allegations... that are like playing with the faith of these 56 crore people".
Adityanath also offered his condolences to the families of the 30 people who were killed in the January 29 stampede, and others who died in road accidents while travelling to Prayagraj for the religious gathering. "... the government stands with them. We will help them in every possible way."
"But how is it appropriate to politicise this?" the Chief Minister said, as he also claimed "good fortune" in the state's BJP government's "opportunity to associate with the Maha Kumbh of this century".
"The country and world have participated... ignoring all the false campaigns," he said.
Yogi Adityanath wasn't the only senior BJP figure to snap back at Ms Banerjee.
Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal accused Ms Banerjee of practicing "appeasement politics" and said, "As I have said earlier... they are atheists. They give only shameful statements."
Samajwadi Party Responds
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav came out in support of Ms Banerjee, declaring, "What she said is right. People from her state also lost their lives. People had come from Bengal and other states. Even a FIR has not been registered. Who was responsible for making all the arrangements?"
Ms Banerjee also received backing from an unexpected quarter - Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the 46th Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand.
READ | After Mamata, Seer Criticises Kumbh Organisers For "Bad Planning"
Even when people died... they tried to hide it, which was a grave crime. In such a situation, if someone calls it names, then we won't be able to oppose it..." Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said.
Mamata's 'Mrityu' Kumbh Jab
The BJP leaders were responding to a sharp attack by Mamata Banerjee in the Bengal Assembly, in which she criticised the BJP for failing, even now, to recover all 30 bodies.
"This is the 'Mrityu' (death) Kumbh... I respect the Maha Kumbh, and I respect Ganga maa... but there is no planning. How many people's bodies have been recovered?" she asked.
READ | "This Is 'Mrityu' Kumbh...": Mamata's Scathing Attack On Stampede
"For the rich, the VIPs... there are systems available to get tents after paying as much as Rs 1 lakh. But for the poor, there are no arrangements made. A stampede can happen in large public gatherings, yes. But it is important to make arrangements. What planning did you make?" she asked.
The steady ramping up of attacks between Mamata Banerjee and the BJP (they recently also went head-to-head over the rape-murder of a doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital) come ahead of an Assembly election in Bengal next year. Ms Banerjee has beaten the BJP in two consecutive state and federal polls, a string of defeats that have left the saffron party fuming and bent on revenge.
Maha Kumbh Stampede
Thirty people, over half of whom were women and children, were killed in the stampede on January 29.
VIDEO | Moments That Led To Maha Kumbh Stampede Caught On Cam
Since then, the opposition, led by Akhilesh Yadav, has been relentlessly in demanding a list of those who died and accountability. Last week Mr Yadav launched another fierce attack.
"... devotees going to the Kumbh were stuck in a 300km-long traffic jam. Is this 'Viksit Bharat'? In which the government cannot even manage traffic? What is the point of going to the Moon when we cannot settle issues on Earth," he asked in Parliament.
READ | "Point Of Going To The Moon?" Akhilesh Yadav's Maha Kumbh Jab
The opposition has also accused the UP government of disregarding the needs of the crores of devotees to cater for VIP and VVIP visits, including those by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.
The UP government and the BJP, meanwhile, have hailed the relatively successful hosting of what is widely regarded as the world's largest religious gathering.
With input from agencies
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