Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Devotion, Chaos & Political Storm, The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj witnessed an unprecedented 66 crore pilgrims over six weeks, making it the largest human gathering in history. However, the grand spiritual event took a tragic turn after two deadly stampedes—one at the Mela site on January 29 and another at New Delhi railway station on February 16—sparking a political firestorm. Opposition leaders Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Mallikarjun Kharge blamed the Yogi Adityanath government for alleged failures in managing crowd and facilities. Banerjee called it "Mrityu Kumbh", while Kharge questioned, "Will Ganga dips end poverty?"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended the event, stating that "anti-Hindu forces have always attacked faith, temples, and culture." CM Yogi Adityanath hit back, saying critics only focus on negatives and ignore the scale of arrangements. As faith and politics clash, the Maha Kumbh 2025 remains at the center of devotion, debate, and controversy.