Mamata Banerjee Clarifies Comments on ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ Controversy

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the media on Tuesday to clarify her recent comments made in the Assembly earlier this month, where she referred to the “Maha Kumbh” at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh as “Mrityu Kumbh.” Throughout the interaction, Banerjee avoided using the controversial term.

“I have nothing to say about those who went for the holy bath at Maha Kumbh. I have great regard for them. I have respect for all religions. I talked about the lack of planning there. But my statements were distorted and said all sorts of negative things. I want to tell them that all you said was untrue,” the Chief Minister stated. She emphasized that accidents can happen, but people suffer if the accidents occur due to negligence or lack of proper planning in handling the crisis afterward. Banerjee urged the Uttar Pradesh government to promptly provide the announced compensation to the affected families.

This was Banerjee’s first public comment on the controversies stemming from her earlier statement during the first phase of the Budget Session of the House. Last week, senior Trinamool Congress leader and state Cabinet member Manas Ranjan Bhunia defended Banerjee, claiming her comments were taken out of context.

“No one in the state government had made any attempts to malign the Maha Kumbh. The Chief Minister, too, had not criticised the event. She has spoken about the loss of life because of the administrative mismanagement there. In addition, a Central report has reported high-level faecal bacteria in the river water at Prayagraj,” Bhunia stated.

Banerjee faced widespread criticism from various quarters following her statements in the Assembly.