West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Yogi Adityanath government of downplaying the death toll from the stampede at the Maha Kumbh, asserting that the largest gathering of people in the world has transformed into ’Mrityu Kumbh’.

An interview featuring a Hindu monk has been misinterpreted online following a deadly stampede at the Kumbh Mela festival in India. Social media users claim the clip shows the saint reprimanding the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state in a phone call for his alleged mismanagement of the massive religious festival,

The quest of millions seeking salvation at the world's largest religious festival has also been a golden opportunity for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to burnish Hindu nationalist credentials.