New Delhi, India – Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited Hathras in Uttar Pradesh on Friday morning to meet the families of the victims affected by the devastating stampede on July 2. En route to Hathras, Gandhi also stopped in Aligarh to meet the families of those who perished in the tragic incident at a religious ‘satsang’ event in Fulari village, which claimed 123 lives.
The bodies of all 123 victims, who died in the stampede at the event organized by self-styled godman Suraj Pal alias ‘Bhole Baba’, have been identified and handed over to their families. Gandhi arrived in Hathras to offer his condolences and support to the grieving families.
During his visit, a member of a bereaved family expressed concerns about the lack of proper medical facilities at the venue. “He (Rahul Gandhi) assured us that he will help us in every possible way through his party. The administration at the ‘Satsang’ venue was not good. My sister-in-law could have been saved if there was a proper medical facility,” she said.
Another woman shared her grief, stating, “He said that he’ll help. Have patience. My mother and brother died in the incident.”
Nitin Kumar, the son of Shanti Devi, recounted his experience, saying, “My mother died. Her name was Shanti Devi. We went to the Satsang together. We were separated during the Satsang. I came out of the event earlier. When the Satsang was over, I heard that a stampede had occurred. I went there to find my mother. After some time, I came to know that my mother was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. My brother went to the hospital and saw that she was dead.”
When asked about Rahul Gandhi’s assurances, Nitin said, “He asked about our well-being and assured us of all kinds of help. We have also asked him to raise this issue in Parliament to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
Lata, Shanti Devi’s daughter, expressed disappointment that Gandhi did not visit their home directly. “We had been waiting for Rahul Gandhi since morning, but he didn’t come to our house. Instead, some of our family members were called to someone else’s house to meet the Congress MP.”
Jitendra, another son of Shanti Devi, thanked Rahul Gandhi for his visit. “We were called to someone else’s house to meet Rahul Gandhi. He asked about our well-being. I thanked him for visiting us. He said that he’ll help from his side and the government’s side. Although, he should have come to our house as well,” he said.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Police conducted a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri for the self-styled godman. An FIR has been registered, naming the event organizers. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mainpuri Sunil Kumar, stated that ‘Bhole Baba’ was not found at his ashram.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the tragedy site and ordered a judicial probe into the incident. A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission, chaired by Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, has been formed to ensure a comprehensive and transparent investigation. The commission will investigate the stampede incident over the next two months and submit its report to the state government.
Preliminary reports indicate that the stampede occurred when devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher’s feet but were stopped by his security personnel, leading to chaos and the tragic stampede.
