Mathura SSP said that the stampede took place after some devotees passed out due to suffocation caused by overcrowding. Insiders, however, allege that crowd management failed because some high officials were busy making way for VIP darshans.
Vrindavan, 2022-08-20 (Vrindavan Today News): Two people were reported dead, and several others were injured in Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari Temple during the Janmashtami Mangla Aarti Darshan stampede on 19 August.
The deceased have been identified as Nirmala Devi of Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ram Prasad Vishwakarma of Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur.
Lakhs of devotees come for the once-in-a-year Mangla Darshan of Banke Bihari on Janmashtami. The unfortunate incident took place at around 2.00 am on 19th August during the midnight celebration.
According to Mathura SSP Abhishek Yadav, the stampede ensued after some devotees passed out due to suffocation caused by overcrowding. “It led to commotion in which two persons died and several others were injured.”
However, some sevaiyats are blaming the incident on the temple’s notorious VIP culture. They have alleged that crowd management at the temple failed because some officials were busy making way for VIPs and their families which created a stampede-like situation at gate Nos. 1 and 4.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath who was on a one-day Janmashtami visit to Mathura-Vrindavan on the 19th expressed grief over the incident. He asked the officials to ensure that the injured are provided with the necessary medical intervention.
