UP Minister Sandeep Singh and Rahul Gandhi Respond to Hathras Stampede Tragedy
On Friday, UP Minister Sandeep Singh announced that both the central and state governments have decided to provide a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs each to the families affected by the Hathras stampede, totaling Rs 4 lakhs per family. This announcement came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the victims’ families.
Compensation and Support
Sandeep Singh stated, “The Prime Minister and the state government, both have announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs each for the bereaved families, the total is Rs 4 lakhs. The task of transferring this amount to the accounts of the people has already started. The BJP will help these families in any manner required.”
Security Arrangements
Singh mentioned that the volunteers of the Baba were responsible for security and did not allow the police to enter the premises. He said, “The security arrangements were made. The volunteers of the Baba took the responsibility of security and they do not allow the police to enter their premises. Police and fire-tenders were present at the venue. They have always been disallowing the police from entering the premises.”
Rahul Gandhi’s Visit
Rahul Gandhi visited the families affected by the Hathras stampede and urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to provide fair compensation. He said, “It is a sad incident. Many lives have been lost. I am not approaching this from a political perspective but addressing the deficiencies of the administration. The main priority should be to provide maximum compensation to the poor families affected by this tragedy. I request CM Yogi Adityanath to provide compensation with an open heart.”
Gandhi also mentioned that the family members of the deceased informed him there was no police presence at the event, which contributed to the chaos. He said, “If there is a delay in providing compensation, it will not help anyone. I spoke with the families, and they told me there was no police arrangement at the venue. They are in shock, and I wanted to understand their situation.”
Judicial Probe
On Wednesday, CM Yogi Adityanath visited the site of the tragedy and announced a judicial probe into the incident. A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava has been constituted to ensure comprehensiveness of the subject matter and transparency in the inquiry. The Commission will investigate the stampede incident and submit its report within the next two months.
According to the preliminary report, the stampede occurred when devotees tried to collect soil from the preacher’s feet and were stopped by security personnel, leading to a rush and subsequent chaos.
