Rahul Gandhi will visit the site of Hathras, where 121 people were killed on Tuesday in the stampede incident. Addressing the media, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “It was an unfortunate incident. The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi) is planning to visit Hathras. He will go there and interact with the people who are affected.”
The incident took place during the satsang hosted by a self-styled godman, Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari, who is admired by his followers who believe he’s a “healer” with “cures,” an “exorcist” who “gets rid of evil spirits,” and a “godman” with “magical powers” who can grant their wishes.
Who is Bhole Baba?
Previously a constable named Suraj Pal from Kasganj, he left the Uttar Pradesh police to become a self-styled preacher of religion, where he attained a significant number of followers, mostly belonging to low-income Dalit families. He employed those men as laborers, masons, agricultural laborers,’safai karamcharis’, carpenters, or carpet sellers.
The Indian Express reported that Bhole Baba used to perform exorcisms, mostly on young girls, which got him arrested in 2000. In Shahganj village of Agra, the preacher was arrested for claiming “magical powers” and allegedly taking the body of a 16-year-old girl forcibly from her family, saying he would bring her back to life. The Agra police closed the case later.
Condolences from around the globe:
External Minister Jaishankar expressed his condolences for the incident over X. He wrote, “’Deeply distressed by the tragic loss of lives in a stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Not only are the ministers from India delivering tributes to those who lost their lives and loved ones, but many envoys from India expressed their distress over the incident. German envoy Philipp Ackermann wrote on X, ‘Deeply saddened about the tragic events in Hathras. My condolences to the families that lost their loved ones. We hope that help quickly reaches the injured.
Shocked by the incident. Chinese envoy Xu Feihong wrote, ‘Shocked and saddened about the tragic events in Hathras, UP. Deeply mourn for the lives lost and extend heartfelt sympathies to the victims’ families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.’
Delivering his condolences to the bereaved families, French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou followed suit, saying, ‘Deeply saddened by the loss of lives following the tragic stampede in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. France expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.’
Six Arrested
The Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against the organizers of the religious congregation in Hathras, but there is no mention of Preacher Narayan Sakar Hari or Bhole Baba’s name. However, six people, including some of the organisers, have been arrested in the prayer meeting that ended in a deadly stampede in Uttar Pradesh.
While the death toll has reached 121, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited those under medical attention. He ordered a judicial probe into the incident, led by a three-member panel consisting of retired High Court judge Brijesh Kumar Srivastava and two other retired IAS officers, Hemant Rao and Bhavesh Kumar Singh.
