'Sins Being Washed Away Or Accumulating More...': Akhilesh Yadav Slams VVIP Facilities At Maha Kumbh 2025

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday criticised the difficulties faced by common devotees due to the VIP movement at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

Sharing a video showing common devotees walking while a convoy passed along the same road, the SP leader stated in an X post, "On one hand, devotees in the crowd are being pushed and shoved, with some walking 5 to 10 kilometers on foot, while on the other hand, leaders, officials, and their entire families are comfortably seated in cars, honking their horns, teasing the devotees, and heading straight to the Mahakumbh."

Attacking the state government for ignoring common people and making them wait for hours in long lines, he said, "Yogi Ji, who boasts about the systems and spends crores on promoting them, is only benefiting the VIPs. The common people have to stand in long lines or wait for hours to avail the benefits of these systems."

Taking a jibe at political leaders and government officials for using VIP facilities to take a dip at Triveni, he said, "It's hard to understand whether the sins of those who reach the place of faith with VIP facilities are being washed away or are they accumulating more?"

"Officials are thoroughly enjoying the government's inaction, while the leaders sitting in the government are under the illusion that they can confuse the public with absurd issues during elections and regain their seats," he added.

Akhilesh Yadav's attack on the UP government comes amid videos of many devotees expressing their ordeal while on the way to take a dip at Triveni, which have surfaced on social media.

Yesterday, the former UP CM voiced his discontent over the arrangements made by the state government and urged the administration to prioritize the needs of the pilgrims over VIP arrangements. “The government should ensure smooth transport for pilgrims instead of creating difficulties due to VIP protocols. The Maha Kumbh should be about special arrangements for the devotees, not the dignitaries,” Yadav wrote on X.