New Delhi, Feb 3: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking legal action against authorities and officials in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for their “negligent conduct” resulting in a tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh, in which at least 30 people were killed and around 60 others were injured.

A bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar suggested the PIL litigant, advocate Vishal Tiwari, who appeared as a party in-person, to approach the Allahabad High Court for redressal of the grievances raised in the petition.

The CJI Khanna-led Bench took note of the submission by senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, that a judicial inquiry has already been set up by the state government to probe the cause of the stampede and a similar petition has also been filed before the Allahabad High Court.

“It is something of concern and it is an unfortunate incident. But move the (Allahabad) High Court,” the apex court told the PIL litigant.

The petition filed before the apex court said the incidents of stampede have become regular and the incident in Prayagraj depicts the drastic condition and fate of people due to the lapses, negligence and utter failure of administration purported by the government authorities.

Apart from the “failure of maintaining and administering the supervision”, the plea alleged that the authorities had also failed in controlling the crowd gathered for the event.

“From the 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede accident to the Maha Kumbh 2025 stampede in Uttar Pradesh which took around 30 lives and left several injured, it is clear and visible to mention that nothing in the administration activity of our country has changed wherein such actions could have been avoided by showing reasonable duty of care and upfront repair and development activity,” stated the petition.

Quite often there are reports of casualties occurring due to overcrowding and lack of management by the administration and its municipal bodies, it highlighted, adding that every time such incidents take place, it underscores that “we have not learnt anything from the past”.

As per the petition, the event of Kumbh is one of the biggest and leading religious events of the nation, and hence, it becomes the collective responsibility of all states to ensure the safety and secure visit of its respective residents.

“All states shall have to come forward for proper facilitation, security, medical facility, transportation and other facilities for their respective residents who are going to Maha Kumbh. Whenever such incidents happen, mostly the common and poor people become victims,” the petition said.

“There are several questions which are brewing up from this horrific incident of stampede thereby questioning the duty and lapse of state government and Municipal Corporations,” it added.

Similar incidents of stampede had also taken place earlier in religious festivals, ceremonies and events, the petition said. It prayed that the Uttar Pradesh government be directed to file a status report on the Maha Kumbh 2025 stampede incident and initiate legal action against the authorities and officials for their negligent conduct.

On Monday, Parliament’s Budget session resumed with an uproar as the Opposition demanded accountability from the Uttar Pradesh government and accused the state government of concealing the actual number of deaths. They have also demanded a comprehensive list of those who died in the tragedy, slamming Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for initially refusing to confirm fatalities for several hours after the incident.

Some Opposition MPs even called for the Chief Minister’s resignation. Amid the commotion, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged members to maintain order, blaming the Opposition for disrupting proceedings.

New Delhi, Feb 3: With just two days left for the Delhi Assembly elections, BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Monday visited the Bijwasan Assembly constituency and launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the “dire” situation in the area.

Accompanied by BJP candidate Kailash Gahlot, Patra toured the Kapashera area and highlighted the severe water crisis, alleging that residents are being forced to buy water from “tanker mafias” due to the government’s failure to provide clean drinking water.

“There is chaos everywhere. These are not electric wires; these are water pipes… People have to buy water and also pay private water bills,” Patra told media, recalling how Arvind Kejriwal once promised to make Delhi the “Venice of India.” Instead, he said, the situation has deteriorated drastically.

Accusing the Kejriwal government of colluding with water mafias, Patra claimed that contractors linked to AAP leaders are controlling the water supply and illegally profiting from it.

“Mafia associates have set up tanks in their houses, supplying water to every home through private pipes and meters, which are not monitored by the Delhi Jal Board or the government,” he alleged.

According to Patra, residents are being forced to pay Rs 200-250 for basic water needs, while a separate tanker for drinking water costs an additional Rs 20 per household. He further alleged that the “money collected from these illegal operations is being funnelled directly into Kejriwal’s pockets.”

“The Delhi government has only engaged in fraud and scams. People don’t even have access to drinking water, yet private bills are being issued under the government’s nose. Water pipes hang like tangled wires, and the Delhi government is nowhere to be seen. Kejriwal’s illegal operations are thriving while he turns a blind eye,” Patra said.

With campaigning set to end later in the day, political parties are making their final appeals to voters, sharpening their attacks as they seek to gain an edge before Delhi heads to the polls on February 5.

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has criticised the Union Budget 2025, highlighting the absence of any specific allocations for Maharashtra despite it being the highest tax-contributing state.

Responding to the Union Budget in a social media post, Thackeray pointed out what he sees as a stark contrast between Bihar’s prominent mentions and Maharashtra’s complete omission. “Not a single mention of Maharashtra is an outright insult to the state that contributes the highest taxes, including one of the highest GST consistently,” he said.

The former minister questioned the budget’s approach to unemployment, noting that while the government speaks about income tax rebates, it fails to address how citizens can earn enough to qualify for these benefits. “When unemployment is at its highest, there’s no mention of a solution to it,” Thackeray remarked.

On infrastructure development, Thackeray criticised the government’s capital expenditure plans, alleging a “contractor-based economy” where “favourite contractors get contracts” resulting in “horrible roads” on major Maharashtra highways. He highlighted that while rupees 11.1 lakh crores was proposed last year, only rupees 10.1 lakh crores were actually spent.

Regarding aviation infrastructure, Thackeray questioned the government’s UDAAN scheme announcement for 120 new airports, specifically noting the omission of Pune’s new airport despite local demand and representation. He also raised concerns about previously launched airports that have since ceased operations.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also addressed everyday challenges facing citizens, including increased transport fares and food inflation. “The common person still grapples with a hike in State Transport Buses and auto rickshaw fare hike in Maharashtra. The people still face inflation in daily market buys like onion, tomato, potato,” he stated, questioning the government’s strategy to make essential items affordable without reducing farmers’ income.

In a pointed reference to BJP’s past promises, Thackeray sarcastically remarked on Bihar’s budget allocations, wondering if the state had received the rupees 1.25 lakh crores package promised by BJP in 2015 and subsequent promises made in 2024.