Among the victims were many women and children. There were more than 10,000 people at the event of Bhole Baba, a former policeman turned preacher who draws large crowds. The chaos was caused by a sandstorm, but – according to witnesses – also by the behaviour of the cleric’s security detail. Bishop of Lucknow Gerard Mathias: “I pray for the victims and that tragedies like this one will not be repeated.”
Lucknow () – At least 121 people have been confirmed dead in the tragic toll of the tragedy that occurred yesterday in the town of Sikandra Rao, in the district of Hathras, in Uttar Pradesh, after a crowd at a Satsang (a religious event) attended by more than 10,000 people. The victims were mostly women and children.
Chaitra V., divisional commissioner of Aligarh city in Uttar Pradesh state, said the participants were leaving the venue when a dust storm blinded them, causing the crowd to swell and the subsequent tragic incident. The state’s chief medical officer, Umesh Kumar Tripathi, told reporters that “many injured” people were hospitalized.
Some reports say that part of the blame lies with the attendants of Bhole Baba (pictured), the Hindu preacher who led the ritual; they allegedly prevented people from leaving the site in the heat and humidity, so that the preacher and his entourage could leave first. When the crowd was finally allowed to leave, chaos broke out, leading to tragedy.
Suraj Pal, or Bhole Baba as his followers call him, hails from Bahadur Nagar in the Patiyali area of Kasganj district. He left his job with the state police 17 years ago to devote himself to preaching. Although his followers extend beyond Uttar Pradesh to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, both the preacher and his followers are wary of the media.
According to a devotee, Bhole Baba had no religious mentor and soon after his voluntary retirement from service, he allegedly had a “vision” of the divine. Since then, he has been inclined towards spiritual activities. He holds his Satsangs every Tuesday and before Hathras, he had held a similar function in Mainpuri district last week. In May 2022, during the Covid 19 pandemic, he had caused controversy because after seeking permission for a religious gathering of 50 people in Farrukhabad district, the congregation had grown to over 50,000 people. The affair had created serious embarrassment in the local government of Uttar Pradesh, led by Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath, one of the most prominent members of the BJP, the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The prime minister announced that the families of each person who lost their life will receive 200,000 rupees (about 2,200 euros) from the National Relief Fund, while the injured will receive 50,000 rupees (550 euros).
Commenting on the tragedy, Bishop Gerard Mathias of the Catholic Diocese of Lucknow told : “It was truly a tragic event that took place in the Hathras district during a Satsang. I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the eternal rest of the deceased. I pray and hope that such tragedies will not be repeated. And that all those involved will take appropriate measures to prevent them.”
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