Afzal Ansari, the Samajwadi Party MP from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, made a controversial statement regarding the Maha Kumbh bath. He said that there is a rush for taking a dip in the Kumbh, and people believe that it will lead them to Vaikunth (heaven). As a result, heaven will be full, and hell will be completely empty.
While addressing an event on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti in the Shadiyabad police station area on February 12, MP Afzal Ansari said, “There is a rush to take a dip in the Maha Kumbh, and it seems that everyone will go to heaven, but heaven will be full, and hell will remain empty.” He also pointed out the difficulties caused by the Maha Kumbh, stating that it has become difficult to walk on the streets. He mentioned that youths are breaking the windows of trains, and the police seem helpless. Additionally, he referred to the stampede that occurred during the Mouni Amavasya and mentioned that people were getting trampled to death.
It is not the first time that Afzal Ansari has made controversial remarks about the Maha Kumbh. About two months ago, he made another controversial statement, saying that an entire trainload of marijuana would be consumed at the Maha Kumbh, and that the saints only smoke marijuana. This statement led to the Ghazipur police registering a case against him.
As for the Maha Kumbh, the number of devotees has crossed 45 crore, with over 2 crore pilgrims taking a dip on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. According to official statements, the number of people who have taken a dip in the Maha Kumbh has reached over 46 crore 25 lakh, with the conclusion of the event still about two weeks away. The government had earlier estimated that 45 crore devotees would take a dip in the Maha Kumbh.
