"Govt shouldn't be lax for political gains": BSP chief Mayawati demands strict actions against 'Bhole Baba' on Hathras stampede

Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP chief Mayawati on Saturday demanded strict actions against Suraj Pal Singh aka 'Bhole Baba' and all others who are guilty in the Hathras stampede tragedy that claimed 121 lives.
The BSP chief also advised the poor, Dalits, and the oppressed in the country to not get misled by the superstition and hypocrisy of such Babas.
"The poor, Dalits and the oppressed in the country should not increase their pain and suffer by getting misled by the superstition and hypocrisy of many Babas like Bhole Baba of Hathras to get rid of their poverty and all other problems, this is the advice," she posted on X.
"Rather, by following the path shown by Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, they will have to change their own destiny by taking power into their own hands, that is, they will have to join their own party BSP, only then they can avoid incidents like Hathras in which 121 people died, which is very worrying," Mayawati added.
She further said that the government should not be lax in such situations and take strict action against the guilty.
"In the Hathras case, strict action should be taken against Baba Bhole and others who are guilty. Action should be taken against other such Babas as well. In this case, the government should not be lax in its political interests so that no more people have to lose their lives," the BSF chief wrote on X.
Meanwhile, self-styled godman Suraj Pal Singh, or 'Bhole Baba' broke his silence on Saturday in connection with the Hathras stampede in which 121 people, mostly women and children, died, stating that "those who created the chaos will not be spared."
In a video statement, Suraj Pal who also goes by the name of Narayan Sakar Hari expressed his grief and condoled the deaths at the tragedy that took place earlier this week during a 'Satsang' in Fulari village in Hathras district.
"I am deeply saddened by the incident of July 2. May God give us the strength to bear this pain. Please keep faith in the government and the administration. I have faith that those who created the chaos will not be spared. Through my lawyer AP Singh, I have requested the members of the committee to stand with the bereaved families and the injured and help them throughout their lives," the 'Baba' said.
As per the police FIR, around 250,000 people had gathered despite permission being given for only 80,000.
Earlier, the main accused, identified as Devprakash Madhukar, surrendered to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Special Task Force (STF), and Uttar Pradesh Police, according to his Advocate AP Singh in a video statement on Friday.
Advocate AP Singh stated, "Dev Prakash Madhukar, who was named in the FIR in the Hathras case and identified as the main organizer, has surrendered to the SIT, STF, and Police. We have handed him over to the SIT and the Uttar Pradesh Police. Now a thorough investigation can be conducted... His health should be taken care of, as he is a heart patient and nothing wrong should happen to him..."
"It was my promise that we will not use any anticipatory bail, will not file any application and will not go to any court, because what have we done? What is our crime? We told you that we would surrender Dev Prakash Madhukar, take him in front of the police, interrogate him, participate in the investigation, and take part in the inquiry," the lawyer said.
However, no such information has been received from the police yet.
As per the prima facie report, the stampede took place when devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher's feet, but were stopped from doing so by his security personnel. They then started pushing one another due to which several people fell triggering chaos at the site.