‘Some lapses on part of administration’: Shri Rahul Gandhi meets families of Hathras stampede victims

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi met the families of victims who lost their lives in the tragic Hathras stampede that claimed more than 121 lives and left many injured. Shri Rahul Gandhi left New Delhi early in the morning and made the journey by road to Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. This marks the first visit by a senior opposition leader to the site since the incident occurred. After meeting the families of the Hathras Stampede accident, Shri Rahul Gandhi said, “A lot of families have been affected and many people have died. I don’t want to politicise this. There have been deficiencies in the system. I think they should get more compensation as these are very poor families. I request the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to provide compensation open-heartedly. They need it now. More compensation should be given as soon as possible. The family members said that the police arrangement was not enough.”

Prior to his visit in Hathras, Shri Rahul Gandhi stopped in Aligarh to meet with relatives of victims from that district. He was seen interacting with the family members of the victims of the Hathras stampede.Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Congress President Shri Ajay Rai, General Secretary In-charge of Uttar Pradesh Shri Avinash Pande, AICC Spokesperson, Smt. Supriya Shrinate and other office-bearers during the visit.

One member of a bereaved family spoke on Shri Rahul Gandhi’s visit and said, “...He asked us how it all happened. I told him while walking Baba asked the devotees, ‘Mere charno ki dhool lo’. After which people ran to touch his feet. They collided with each other and fell one upon the other... When my mother didn’t come home, we went to search for her. There were bodies covered in mud…” Shri Rahul Gandhi assured that he will help us in every possible way through his Party. The administration at the ‘satsang’ venue was not good or inadequate. One of the family members of Victims said that “My sister-in-law could have been saved if there was proper medical facility. There were no proper arrangements at the venue”.

Shri Rahul Gandhi further requested all the workers of the INDIA Bloc to provide their cooperation in relief and rescue and hoped for the speedy recovery of the injured.

The stampede took place on July 2, 2024, evening during a satsang conducted by religious preacher Narayan Sakar Hari, also known as ‘Bhole Baba’. The preacher, identified as Suraj Pal, is also known by the names Narayan Sakar Hari and Jagat Guru Vishwahari. According to the prima facie report, the stampede occurred when devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher’s feet but were stopped by security personnel of ‘Bhole Baba’. The ensuing pushing and shoving led to several people falling to the ground, resulting in chaos at the site.