Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV.
On Wednesday I got the opportunity to go to Mahakumbh. I recorded a big show on the banks of Ganga with Yogi Adityanath. Ask questions on all the controversies and curiosities related to Mahakumbh. Is the water of Sangam suitable for bathing? Did more than 9 crore people really reach there in a week? How were people counted? What are the arrangements for food for so many people? How is cleanliness being maintained in the fair area? Will there be an expenditure of Rs 7.5 thousand crore this time on Mahakumbh? What will Uttar Pradesh achieve by spending so much?
Some questions were also political. Like, what was the need to hold a cabinet meeting in Mahakumbh? Is there a ban on entry of Muslims in Mahakumbh? Is the slogan of ‘If you divide, you will be divided’ heard here too? Yogi Adityanath did not avoid any question. Answered every question openly. There were thousands of people in front and people were very excited to see Yogi. But were standing far away. The police had put up barricades.
When I saw from the stage that people were raising slogans and waving hands from a distance, I requested Yogi ji to ask the police to let these people come closer. Yogi immediately said, let everyone come, and then when thousands of people came running to the show, it was a sight worth seeing. Slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ started echoing all around. A roar of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ was heard.
This entire show will be telecast on India TV on Saturday. I showed you one question and one answer to this as an example in ‘Aaj Ki Baat’ show on Thursday night. This will give you an idea of how big a show this is, how much the public was connected to it and how Yogi Adityanath gave befitting replies.
I could stay in the Kumbh city for only a few hours but what I saw during this time was amazing. Thousands of people were walking and walking on pontoon bridges all along the way. Very limited vehicles were allowed to enter here. That is why people have to walk to reach the ghat. Some were walking with backpacks, while others were carrying luggage on their heads. But no one seemed worried. People were happy. Bhandaras were set up everywhere. People were stopping and eating food. And then they would walk away singing bhajans.
Somewhere on the way a nut game was seen, a girl walking on a rope was seen. Baba was seen giving a sermon somewhere. Street vendors, street vendors and street vendors were earning a lot. Someone told me that a tea seller earns 20 to 22 thousand rupees a day. For stay, a bed is available for Rs 100 and there is also a luxury tent worth Rs 1 lakh, but the arrangements for everything were perfect.
I was most surprised to hear about UP Police. People said that the police are helping by becoming friends. If she stops somewhere, she requests. People were also surprised to see the police talking so lovingly. People who were reaching Prayagraj by train told me that a large number of people are traveling by railway but the railway station is very clean and tidy. Policemen are deployed at railway stations. Those who have an app in their mobile, through that app they tell the passengers what time their train will arrive and on which platform it will arrive. Police personnel were seen protecting people, especially old people, from scuffles at the railway station.
This form of police is rarely seen. The DGP of UP Police told me that the policemen were given 6 months training to behave with people lovingly. Yogi also praised the police in my show.
I feel that without going to the Kumbh, one cannot realize how big the work is and how efficiently it is being done. The greatest enthusiasm was seen among the saints and sages coming to Mahakumbh. His sermons in different forms are being shown on TV. Some had their hands raised, some were smoking, some even used tongs. The biggest craze is about Naga Sadhus. A saint told me that media people like you took the glory of Kumbh to every home. Maha Kumbh was glamorized. That is why such a large number of people are coming.
Yogis reach there every other day to organize Maha Kumbh. On Wednesday his entire cabinet was with him. It was only after the cabinet meeting that he came to Sangam Ghat for my show. (Rajat Sharma)
Watch: ‘Aaj Ki Baat, Rajat Sharma Sath’ full episode of January 23, 2025
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