The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday (March 18) stated that it does not maintain records on deaths and injuries caused by stampedes at the Maha Kumbh Mela, claiming that crowd management at religious gatherings falls under the jurisdiction of state governments.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai clarified that the Centre does not conduct inquiries into such incidents, as maintaining public order is a state subject.

"State governments are competent to deal with such situations. No such data is maintained centrally,” Rai said in response to queries from Congress MPs K.C. Venugopal and Kirsan Namdeo.

"Conducting inquiries into disasters, including stampedes, and providing financial assistance to the families of deceased devotees and injured persons fall under the jurisdiction of the respective state governments. State authorities are responsible for handling such situations, and no centralized data on these incidents is maintained," Rai added.

The Congress leaders had sought details on the number of casualties, the steps taken to investigate the incident, whether a judicial inquiry was conducted, and whether financial assistance was provided to the victims or their families. They also asked about measures taken to prevent such tragedies in the future.

In his reply, Rai reiterated that inquiries into stampedes and compensation for victims fall under the purview of state governments. However, he noted that both the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) have issued crowd management guidelines for states to follow.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued advisories to all states and Union Territories, urging them to use these guidelines as a reference to develop their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) and prepare a checklist for authorities to follow," Rai informed the House.