Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), said on Wednesday that the government had concealed the true death toll from the Maha Kumbh stampede and called for the punishment of those authorities who he said had cooperated and plotted to hide the true statistics.

About 30 devotees were killed and over 60 were injured in the rush that broke out on Mauni Amavasya, one of the largest Amrit Snans.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Akhilesh Yadav asserted that the government was purposefully withholding the death toll figures and asked that it provide the Parliament with all of the information regarding Maha Kumbh, including the availability of physicians, medications, and other arrangements.

“The budget numbers are readily shared by the government, but not with Maha Kumbh. I request that they provide the actual death toll from Maha Kumbh. In order to examine and debate the unfortunate event in Prayagraj, I urge an all-party conference,” he said.

The SP chief also insisted that the Maha Kumbh’s disaster management be turned over to the Army.

“The Parliament should be presented with the numbers of deaths, the treatment of injured people, the availability of doctors, medications, food, water, and transportation,” he said.

The state government was also criticized by the SP head for the “poor and inefficient” structure in Prayagraj, claiming that it was only involved in publicity and marketing efforts and not doing anything to improve public safety.

He said that the truth had been purposefully suppressed and called for harsh punishment for anyone involved in this “design.”

“The tragedy should be dealt with severely, and those who concealed the facts should face consequences. We question the double-engine government: why were the numbers repressed, buried, and wiped if there was no guilt? “It is illegal to erase the truth,” he said.

Akhilesh’s new accusation against the administration follows allegations made by members of his party that the corpses of deceased people were buried and carried away in the river in an attempt to downplay the severity of the tragedy.