Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP, visited Hathras today. During his visit, he met with the families of those who lost their lives and those who were injured. To recap, 121 individuals died in a stampede during a satsang on Tuesday, and many others were injured. Following the incident, the Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh has established multiple teams to conduct a swift investigation. Additionally, compensation for the victims has been announced.
Rahul Gandhi stated that he did not want to politicize the tragedy and called for increased compensation for the families of the victims. He expressed sorrow over the incident and emphasized that despite administrative shortcomings, the focus should be on providing substantial compensation to the poor families affected. He urged UP CM Yogi Adityanath to offer generous compensation without delay, noting that any delay would be detrimental. Gandhi shared that during his personal conversations with the bereaved families, they mentioned the absence of police arrangements and conveyed their shock, which he sought to understand through his visit.
Congress leader Danish Ali, who accompanied Rahul Gandhi, criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for not taking the tragedy seriously.
He stated, “This is a tragic incident. We departed at 5 am with Rahul Gandhi. The victims’ stories are heartbreaking. The administration has not been held accountable, and the government is not treating this matter with the seriousness it deserves.”
The stampede occurred at a religious event honoring preacher Bhole Baba. The UP police have arrested six organizers of the event, but the main accused remains at large.
Notably, Bhole Baba has not been named in the FIR.
Rahul Gandhi left for Hathras early on Friday morning. On his way, he visited two villages in Aligarh, where he met with the families who lost their loved ones in the stampede.
– Simran
