BJP MP and veteran actor Hema Malini has stated that the stampede at the Maha Kumbh 2025 mela has been "exaggerated". Speaking to reporters, the Mathura MP accused the opposition and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav of exaggerating the scale of the incident, which as per her, was "not that big".
"Akhilesh's job is just to speak wrongly... We also visited the Kumbh. The incident did happen, but it wasn't that big. It is being exaggerated," the BJP MP told reporters.
Since the stampede's death toll was confirmed, Akhilesh Yadav and other opposition leaders have questioned the UP government led by Yogi Adityanath and accused them of negligence.
Mathura MP Hema Malini, however, has stated that the incident was "not that big".
"We went to Kumbh, we had a very nice bath. It is right that an incident took place, but it was not a very big incident. I don't know how big it was. It is being exaggerated...It was very well-managed, and everything was done very well...So many people are coming, it is very difficult to manage but we are doing our best," she told news agency ANI.
The government has claimed that around 30 people died in the stampede on January 29, 2025, and around 60 were injured in the incident.
However, the opposition has claimed that the real death toll is being hidden and is much higher than 30.
(With inputs from PTI)
