Stampede-like Situation at Varanasi’s Bharat Milap Fair, Oppn Blames BJP for Mismanagement

GG News Bureau
Varanasi, 14th Oct. A stampede-like situation erupted at the historic Bharat Milap fair in Varanasi’s Nati Imli, leaving several people injured and drawing sharp criticism from the opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress, who blamed the Yogi Adityanath government for mismanagement.

The incident occurred on Sunday when police halted the Yadav brothers, traditionally responsible for carrying the Pushpak Viman during the event, leading to a verbal altercation. Eyewitnesses claim that tensions escalated after police intervention, with rumors of a baton charge spreading on social media. However, police officials denied any such action.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kashi Zone), Gaurav Banswal, clarified on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “During the Bharat Milap event at Nati Imli, some women and children came in front of the chariot. To prevent them from getting crushed in the crowd, the police pushed the crowd back. The reports of a lathi-charge are false. No such action was taken by the administration.”

In response to the incident, Ashok Kumar Singh, in charge of the Nati Imli police outpost, was suspended later in the evening, though no reason was given for his suspension, as per the Varanasi Commissionerate.

The Bharat Milap event, held at Nati Imli for 474 years, is considered one of the oldest enactments of the Ramayana. The fair draws lakhs of devotees annually from Varanasi and neighboring areas, with the Yadav brothers of Kashi carrying the five-ton Pushpak Viman as per tradition.

The event sparked political reactions, with SP president Akhilesh Yadav accusing the BJP government of disrupting social harmony in Varanasi, the Prime Minister’s constituency. He said, “The chaos that ensued is evidence of the BJP’s mismanagement. They don’t want events that promote brotherhood to succeed.” Yadav further criticized the BJP, suggesting they were creating “political rifts” between communities.

Congress’ Uttar Pradesh unit president Ajay Rai also condemned the government’s handling of the event, stating, “For the first time, the police have lathi-charged the crowd at the Bharat Milap programme. They (BJP government) talk about Ram, but they get Ram bhakts lathi-charged.” Rai, a veteran politician who has contested against PM Modi in Varanasi, emphasized the significance of the 481-year-old tradition.

As the political blame game continues, the incident has highlighted concerns over crowd management and the preservation of tradition at one of Varanasi’s most revered cultural events.