Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has called on the Uttar Pradesh government to extend the duration of the Maha Kumbh, citing the large number of devotees still waiting to attend. Yadav pointed out that in previous years, both the Maha Kumbh and Kumbh Mela lasted for 75 days, but this year’s schedule is shorter.

“Even now, many people want to attend the Maha Kumbh but are unable to. In such a situation, the government should extend the duration of the Maha Kumbh,” Yadav stated.

Social media visuals have shown packed trains, congested roads, and massive crowds heading towards the Maha Kumbh. Earlier this week, roads leading to the event experienced severe traffic jams that stretched for kilometers, and the Prayagraj Sangam railway station was temporarily closed due to the overwhelming crowd.

Yadav also accused the state government of hiding the true number of deaths caused by a stampede at the Maha Kumbh last month. The Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest spiritual gathering, began on January 13 and is set to conclude on February 26, coinciding with Maha Shivaratri.

As of Friday evening, state government data reported that over 50 crore people had taken a holy dip at the Sangam, surpassing the combined populations of Russia and the United States. On Friday alone, more than 92 lakh devotees participated, pushing the total footfall at the Maha Kumbh past 50 crore as of February 14.