Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said that the event should not be compared with the Nizamuddin Markaz.
The Markaz and Muslims, in general, came under vicious and communal criticism last year after attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat event tested positive for the coronavirus.
Rawat answered a reporter’s question on why the two religious events should not be equated by citing a few points.
“The Markaz was held in a closed space, in a kothi like structure whereas the Kumbh is being held in the open on the sprawling ghats of the Ganga,” Rawat said, adding that the akhadas allegedly reach the river banks at various time slots.
“Most importantly, Kumbh is at the bank of the River Ganga. Maa Ganga’s blessings are there in the flow. So, there should be no corona,” added the chief minister, according to ANI.
Meanwhile, a seer has died from COVID-19 and 80 other holy men have tested positive after attending a vast religious festival where millions of pilgrims have been ignoring Covid-19 advice despite a national surge in infections.
Earlier this week, Mahamandaleshwar Kapil Dev Das, 65, head of one of the Hindu akhadas or ascetic councils, was admitted to hospital and died from coronavirus on Thursday, officials said.
“We had around 2,000 positive cases since Monday during random testing of pilgrims at the Kumbh,” Harbeer Singh, a top festival officer, told AFP.
