Three people were on Sunday killed and at least 12 people injured in a stampede after a massive rally by BSP chief Mayawati at the Kanshi Ram Smarak Maidan.
“A few people coming down the stairs at one of the two gates lost balance and fell on each other. Shanti Devi (68) of Bijnore and another unidentified woman were killed in the incident due to suffocation,” police said.
More than 1 lakh people were present at the huge grounds – the Kanshi Ram Memorial at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar ground in Lucknow.
The BSP had booked more than a dozen trains and thousand vehicles to bring supporters and workers to Lucknow’s Kanshi Ram Eco Garden, where the party chief Mayawati addressed her supporters.
Alleging that minorities were facingbias under Modi government, BSP Chief Mayawati on Sunday cautioned Muslims that voting for Samajwadi Party or Congress will only help BJP and sought their support “to stop” the saffron party.
Muslims should not waste their vote as there is infighting in Samajwadi Party and Congress lacks a voter base in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said while addressing a rally in Lucknow on the occasion of party founder Kanshi Ram’s 10th death anniversary.
“Ever since the BJP government has come at the Centre, Muslims and other minorities are being subjected to bias. The minority status of Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia is being snatched away.
Rumours of a live power line having snapped triggered the stampede. The injured have been rushed to a local hospital, a BSP spokesperson said.
Party’s state unit chief Ram Achal Rajbhar, however, said the women died due to humidity and heat.
The BSP workers had gathered in large numbers at the ground on party founder Kanshi Ram’s 10th death anniversary.
