Akhilesh seeks Maha Kumbh extension as millions head to Prayagraj

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday demanded an extension of the Maha Kumbh duration with an overwhelming number of devotees still waiting on roads to attend the mega Hindu religious congregation. He said the previous edition of the festival was longer than the ongoing one in Prayagraj. "Due to the poor arrangements of the fair and being forced to walk for 20 kilometers, lakhs of elderly people could not come here. Due to high prices, the poor could not reach here. And even lakhs of local residents of Prayagraj could not take bath due to traffic jam and guests," Yadav wrote on X. "Therefore, our demand is that the arrangements in the fair should be extended for a few more days so that the elderly, poor or Prayagraj residents who have been deprived of bathing can get an opportunity to earn merit," he said.
Visuals on social media show packed trains, congested roads and massive crowds all heading to the Maha Kumbh. Earlier this week, roads leading to the Maha Kumbh Mela witnessed severe traffic congestion stretching for kilometres. The Prayagraj Sangam railway station was forced to shut down temporarily due to the overwhelming crowd. He accused the BJP-led state government of concealing the actual number of people who attended the festival.
Visuals on social media show packed trains, congested roads and massive crowds all heading to the Maha Kumbh. Earlier this week, roads leading to the Maha Kumbh Mela witnessed severe traffic congestion stretching for kilometres. The Prayagraj Sangam railway station was forced to shut down temporarily due to the overwhelming crowd.
The Maha Kumbh, the world's largest spiritual gathering, began on January 13 and is set to conclude on February 26, coinciding with Maha Shivaratri. According to state government data, over 50 crore people have taken holy dip at the Sangam till Friday evening - which is more than the combined population of Russia and the United States. The Uttar Pradesh government claimed 50 crore people took a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam (the congregation point of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers).