Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspects preparations for the Maha Kumbh 2025, in Prayagraj (PTI)Prabhat kumar verma

Mauritian PM avoided Ganga dip due to filth: Yogi Adityanath's dig at Opposition

Yogi Adityanath, speaking at AajTak's Dharma Sansad event, claimed that the Mauritian PM avoided taking a dip in the Ganga after seeing the filth in the area when he visited the Kumbh in 2013.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Adityanath says he never fell ill after taking a dip in Ganga
  • Slams opposition for spreading misinformation on Maha Kumbh
  • Says Mauritian PM avoided taking dip in Ganga in 2013

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday slammed the opposition for spreading misinformation on the cleanliness of the Ganga ahead of the Maha Kumbh, saying he never fell ill after taking a dip in the holy river. Speaking at AajTak's Dharma Sansad event, Adityanath attempted to turn the tables on the opposition, particularly the Samajwadi Party, emphasising that the Kumbh was synonymous with filth and chaos before 2017.

The Chief Minister said that the condition of the Ganga has improved now due to the work of the double-engine government, interjecting that the "world's third-largest population" would take a dip in Prayagraj in the next 45 days.

Have taken dip in Ganga, never fell ill: Yogi Adityanath ahead of Maha Kumbh

"I have visited Prayagraj multiple times. I have taken a dip in the Ganga here, and even sipped it as part of the ritual. My health did not deteriorate and I never fell ill. Some people have taken it upon themselves to spread misinformation," Adityanath said.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is scheduled to be held in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26, with millions of devotees set to participate in what is the world's largest religious congregation.

Accusing the Samajwadi Party of sitting idle on cleaning up the river, the UP Chief Minister claimed that the Mauritian Prime Minister avoided taking a dip in the Ganga when he visited the Kumbh in 2013.

"In 2013, when the Prime Minister of Mauritius (Pravind Jugnauth) came to India to take a holy dip in the Ganga, he went back after seeing pollution, filth, and mismanagement during the Kumbh. He had said with tears in his eyes that this is the Ganga?" Adityanath said.

In 2013, the Samajwadi Party was in power in the state, with Akhilesh Yadav as the Chief Minister. He said when the Mauritian Prime Minister visited Kumbh in 2019, he "could not stop himself and took a dip in the river".

"When the Mauritian PM visited Varanasi in 2019, he, along with his family and 400 delegation members, took a holy dip in the river after seeing the change that had happened in six years," the fiery Hindutva leader said.