Nalanda (Bihar) [India], April 3 : Purnea MP Pappu Yadav on Friday hit out at the Bihar government, questioning their presence following a stampede at Nalanda's Sheetla Mata Temple, claiming the lives of eight people.
Speaking to reporters, Yadav blamed the mismanagement of temple administration and also highlighted various other stampede incidents in the state. He further accused the temple authorities of exploiting the devotees in the name of god, calling the practice "unethical."
"Mismanagement is to blame, and both society and the temple administration are responsible. It feels like there is no such thing as a government--what is happening where, the authorities seem to have no concern. This is not just a one-time incident; a similar incident had also taken place in Jehanabad where there was a major stampede. Such stampedes are being seen repeatedly. The organisers and temple authorities, and the way they operate, along with their attitude towards devotees, there is a tendency of exploitation in the name of faith and God, which is completely unethical," said Pappu Yadav.
The Nalanda DM on Wednesday confirmed that eight people died in the Maa Sheetla Mandir stampede; meanwhile, eight were admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Speaking to reporters, the official mentioned that out of eight, seven deceased have been identified, whereas 6 lakh, including Rs 4 lakh from the Disaster Relief Fund and Rs 2 lakh from the CM relief fund, have been announced for the bereaved families.
"Eight people died in the incident. Eight people have been brought for treatment here. Ambulances were rushed to the spot to bring them here. Rs 6 Lakhs, including Rs 4 Lakhs from the Disaster Relief Fund and Rs 2 Lakhs from CM relief fund, are being provided to the bereaved families. Postmortem is underway. Of the eight deceased, 7 have been identified...All eight injured are stable," he said.