Uttar Pradesh government has directed district police chiefs to temporarily halt vehicles carrying devotees to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj following a stampede-like situation during the Second Shahi Snan on Mauni Amavasya early Wednesday.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also appealed to people to take a dip in the Ganga at their nearest ghats and not try to reach the Sangam Nose, according to an official statement. “All ghats hold equal spiritual significance and reaching the main confluence point should not be a priority,†the statement quoted the chief minister as saying.
The move is aimed at preventing overcrowding at the religious gathering, where millions of pilgrims converge to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
In Rae Bareli, Circle Officer (City) Amit Singh confirmed that around 40-50 vehicles, including 10 large buses, have been stopped from proceeding to Prayagraj.
