In Hathras stampede aftermath, how ‘Bhole Baba’ has divided major parties in UP

The report only talks of serving a notice at Surajpal’s Mainpuri ashram for questioning, and that he did not respond to the same.

Political parties in Uttar Pradesh, where the recent Lok Sabha polls indicated a shift in caste loyalties, with the BJP dealt a major blow, have been chary of pointing fingers at Surajpal, or “Bhole Baba” as he is known among his largely Dalit devotees. While the BSP has been the most vocal demanding action against him, the Congress too has asked why Surajpal has not been questioned yet. But the BJP and SP have chosen a more cautious approach.

During his visit to Hathras the day after the stampede, which left 121 people dead, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasised the “conspiracy angle”, and said it required investigation. He did not take Surajpal’s name, referring to him twice as “sajjan (the gentleman)” in his statements to the media. In the first reference, the CM underlined that the stampede occurred “soon after… the sajjan completed his sermon” and got off the stage to leave, when a crowd of followers tried to collect the soil on which he had trod.

Asked why the self-styled godman had not been named in the police case, Adityanath told reporters, “Everyone knows with whom that sajjan has a photo and with whom he has political connections.” The CM’s purported reference was to a video, which went viral after the stampede, of SP president Akhilesh Yadav at one of Surajpal’s events.

Then, Adityanath, without naming Akhilesh, talked about the “unmanageable crowd” at the election rallies of the SP chief. During the Lok Sabha election campaigns, a rally in Phulpur, Prayagraj, which Akhilesh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were supposed to address, had got cancelled because of a stampede-like situation.

Asked about the SIT report, the BJP’s newly elected Hathras MP, Anoop Valmiki, told The Indian Express, “No one involved in the incident will be spared. The SIT did not hold the Baba responsible as it must have found that he did not play a role in the incident. Still, a judicial enquiry is underway.”

The police have also suggested a political link, claiming that the main accused and Surajpal’s confidant, Devprakash Madhukar, who was the satsang organiser, used to raise funds from political parties. Asked if he knew about Madhukar’s alleged political connections, Valmiki said: “I have no clue about this since I am new to this place and was elected MP only recently.”

On the SIT report not naming Surajpal, SP Hathras district president Devendra Kumar Kushwaha also emphasises that the “godman” had left the place before the stampede occurred. “Baba was inside his car when the incident took place. Why should he be held responsible for the deaths? The administration and the police are solely responsible for the deaths as they did not make adequate arrangements to manage the large gathering,” he said.

About the police looking into Madhukar’s “political connections”, Kushwaha said: “I am not aware of this. I have not even heard about him. Madhukar belongs to Etah district and was even working in the MGNREGA there. He shifted to Hathras only a few years ago.”

SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said: “The administration and government are solely responsible for the deaths. Where does the question about the Baba’s role arise? The SIT has given him a clean chit. The administration was supposed to make arrangements to manage such a huge gathering there, but they failed.”

The SP’s ally Congress, however, asked why Surajpal was not being questioned. UP Congress president Ajay Rai told The Indian Express, “This government is known for taking such stands. Why were only the organisers held guilty in the SIT report and not the Baba? How is it possible that when the event was organised for the Baba and a huge gathering arrived for him, he was not questioned about the deaths or booked in the case.”

BSP president Mayawati has also targeted the state government for not questioning Surajpal. In a post on X on Thursday, Mayawati wrote in Hindi, “The death of 121 innocent women and children is an example of government’s negligence. The SIT report seems to be inspired more by politics than the seriousness of the incident. The SIT’s silence over the role of the Baba, who is the event’s key organiser, is a reason for concern. Instead of taking action, giving a clean chit to him has become an issue.”

In its 855-page report, the SIT comprising Additional Director General of Police (Agra Zone) Anupam Kulshreshtha and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner Chaitra V blamed the local administration and police officials for a display of negligence and alleged that the satsang’s organisers and the guards in Surajpal’s security team “mismanaged” the crowd. The SIT report also said that though a notice was served to Surajpal’s ashram in Mainpuri for the recording of his statement, he did not turn up or respond.

While Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur and Hathras Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal did not respond to calls or messages, Additional SP Ashok Kumar Singh, when asked about the conspiracy angle, Madhukar’s alleged political connections, and Surajpal’s alleged role, said: “All angles and clues are being investigated.”