Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday raised questions about the Uttar Pradesh government’s preparedness for the religious congregation in Hathras district where at least 107 people, mostly women, were killed in a stampede.

Akhilesh Yadav, who was present in the Lok Sabha at the time of the incident, said, “The question is what was the government doing when such an incident took place? So many people have lost their lives. If the government knew there would be a large gathering at an event, what did they do for their safety?”

“The government is responsible for this,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. “I hope that the government will ensure the best treatment for the injured.”

In a post on X, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, “It is very sad that a large number of people died and many were injured in a stampede during a religious gathering in Hathras district of UP and a young man was killed during a Buddhist/Bhim Katha in Agra.”

“The government should investigate these incidents and take appropriate action and provide financial assistance to the victim families,” she said.

District Magistrate Ashish Kumar said it was a private function for which the permission was granted by the sub-divisional magistrate.

Did suffocation lead to Hathras stampede? What police, eyewitnesses say

The exact circumstances leading to the stampede are still under investigation, with officials seeking to understand the sequence of events that triggered the tragedy. Initial reports suggest that the stampede started soon after the women rushed out of the venue after the religious congregation of religious preacher Bhole Baba ended.

A police official said overcrowding may have been a factor in the stampede in a village in the Hathras district, about 350 kilometres southwest of Lucknow.

Inspector General Aligarh Range Shalabh Mathur said prima facie, it appeared that some people felt suffocated because of the hot and humid weather and when the ‘satsang’ ended, those inside the enclosure rushed out resulting in a deadly stampede.

“People started falling one upon another, one upon another. Those who were crushed died. People there pulled them out,” witness Shakuntala Devi told the Press Trust of India news agency.

Hathras stampede: Who is Bhole Baba, the preacher who led the congregation?

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi called for a thorough investigation into the incident. “The incident that took place in Hathras is sad. Proper investigation should be done on how the incident took place and how the state government could not manage the crowd efficiently. I hope that proper treatment will be given to the injured,” Owaisi said.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said, “My heart goes out to the victims in the Hathras tragedy. It is very tragic. They had congregated for ‘satsang’ and reportedly over 150 of them lost their lives due to the stampede. I pray for the souls of the departed and for the recovery of those who have been affected. I was hoping that the PM would have got prior information and he would have cut short his 2-hour and 14-minute-long statement. But he refused to do so.”

BJP MP Anoop Pradhan urged against politicising the tragedy and said that chief minister Yogi Adityanath is expected to visit the site.

“I believe no one should do politics on such incidents. Tragedies can happen in any government, but it should not and is very unfortunate. The CM is likely to visit the spot tomorrow. I am going to the spot right now,” Pradhan said.