Opposition parties hold UP govt responsible for Varanasi stampede

Lucknow: Expressing profound grief over the loss of 24 lives in a stampede at Rajghat bridge in Varanasi on Saturday, opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh held the state government and local administration responsible for the incident. [caption id=“attachment_3054146” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Varanasi: A scene after a stampede during a meeting of Baba Jai Gurudev supporters at Rajghat Bridge in Varanasi on Saturday. PTI[/caption] BJP blamed authorities for lack of arrangements and management at the bridge which led to the stampede in which several lives were lost. “Proper arrangements should have been made for such a big congregation at the Jai Gurudev samagam which was not done… Even the local intelligence unit failed to give any input in this regard which resulted in mismanagement and loss of life,” BJP state unit president Keshav Prasad Maurya said. BSP supremo Mayawati said it is the responsibility of the state government and local administration to ensure proper arrangements and police force for such public functions so that no untoward incident occurs which was however not done in Varanasi. Congress communications department chairman Satyadev Tripathi said Varanasi incident is the fallout of “administrative failure”. 24 people were killed and 50 injured in a stampede on an overcrowded Rajghat bridge on the border of Varanasi and Chandauli when followers of Jai Gurudev were crossing it to attend a congregation this afternoon.