Key Points:
- “I invite all devotees across the world to come to Haridwar and take a holy dip in the Ganga during Mahakumbh. Nobody will be stopped in the name of Covid-19 as we are sure the faith in God will overcome the fear of the virus,” Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat said.
- “Religious sentiments need to be given priority as faith is stronger than fear as was seen during the Shahi Snaan on Mahashivaratri..” CM Rawat said.
- “Kumbh shouldn’t be compared to Markaz,” said CM Rawat when in talks with HT about Kumbh being a super spreader of Coronavirus.
Just another normal day and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat is again in the news for one more controversial statement the man has made.
Promising the devotees of removing all “unnecessary” guidelines for Haridwar Mahakumbh, Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat said that the “faith of devotees will overcome the fear of Covid-19” in the mega event that has begun from April 1.
Media attention is what the Uttarakhand CM happens to love is because his this statement got a lot of media attention and most importantly flak from experts and the Opposition who had warned of the increasing Covid-19 cases in the country.
“I invite all devotees across the world to come to Haridwar and take a holy dip in the Ganga during Mahakumbh. Nobody will be stopped in the name of Covid-19 as we are sure the faith in God will overcome the fear of the virus,” Rawat said.
Rawat proudly said that before him being the CM of the State, the Mahakumbh taking place, was very uncertain and now that he has taken charge, the Kumbh has been organized in a grand way. Statements like these during a Pandemic, coming from someone who is sitting on a higher post in the country, is shameful enough to help the government fail.
“We have to take a risk as Mahakumbh is not a normal annual fair but one which is held after every 12 years. Every devotee wants to take the sacred Ganga dip and take back Gangajal home. So how can we stop or restrict them from coming here? But the Covid-19 guidelines of the Centre will be adhered to,” he said.
Prioritizing religious faith over peoples lives, Rawat reasoned the organization of the Kumbh Mela saying, “Religious sentiments need to be given priority as faith is stronger than fear as was seen during the Shahi Snaan on Mahashivaratri on March 11. About 3.4 million people arrived in Haridwar for that holy bath.”
In March, the CM had also said that no one should be deprived of taking a holy dip in the Ganga during Mahakumbh.
CM Tirath Singh Rawat also declared that his government has decided to withdraw cases against 4,500 people booked for allegedly violating the anti-Covid guidelines during the lockdown in the state.While in an interview with Hindustan Times, when asked that ‘Markaz, last year, was blamed by the Centre for being the super spreader of the Coronavirus, isn’t Kumbh being the same this year?’ CM Tirath Singh Rawat replied, “Kumbh shouldn’t be compared to Markaz.” Rawat also kept on saying that they are taking utmost care at the ongoing Mela but, ignored the main question of crowding at Kumbh and on the verge of becoming a Super Spreader of Coronavirus.
