Hitting out at his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee over her remarks criticising the arrangements during the Maha Kumbh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Sunday those who had said the “Maha Kumbh of Prayagraj was a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ were unable to control disturbance during Holi”

Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected office bearers of the Gorakhpur Journalists Press Club in Gorakhpur, he said that “for the first time, people came to the Maha Kumbh from Tamil Nadu”.

“People also came from Kerala. The population of Uttar Pradesh is 25 crores, and the Holi concluded peacefully. But, in West Bengal, a number of disturbances took place during Holi,” he said.

“And, people who were unable to control the disturbance (‘upadrav’) during Holi, had said that the Maha Kumbh of Prayagraj was a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’. But, we said that this is not ‘Mrityu’ (death), it is ‘Mrityunjay’ (victory over death) It is a Maha Kumbh.”

He said that everyday of the Maha Kumbh witnessed 50,000 to 1 lakh people of West Bengal taking part in the 45-day event.

Days after the January 29 stampeded at the Sangam Nose, where the official toll was 30, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said the Maha Kumbh has turned into a “Mrityu Kumbh” due to such incidents of stampede, claiming the actual toll was suppressed by authorities.

“They have hidden hundreds of bodies to bring down the toll. The Maha Kumbh has turned into a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ under the BJP rule,” Banerjee said during an address in the West Bengali assembly on February 18.

Two days later, Banerjee said she respects all religions and cultures.

“Who said I do not respect my religion? Remember religion belongs to an individual but festivals are for all. In our country, we have several states and each has different languages, education, way of living, cultures and beliefs. But we respect all cultures and that is why unity in diversity is our philosophy and ideology,” she had said, while addressing a programme in Newtown near Kolkata.