Don't want to be political, but...: Rahul visits Hathras, meets kin of stampede victims

Speaking to reporters after meeting the victims of the stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras here on Friday morning, Gandhi said, 'It is a matter of grief that so many families have suffered, so many people lost their lives.'

Lucknow: Former Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday met the families of the victims of Tuesday's stampede in Hathras and sought enhanced compensation for them.

As many as 121 devotees, mostly women, were killed in the stampede during a 'satsang' (religious congregation) organised by Sakar Hari Bhole Baba at Phulrai village in Hathras on Tuesday.

Rahul, who met the families at a Park in the town, assured them of all help. The families of the victims said that Rahul had assured them that his party would raise the incident in the Parliament.

Later speaking to reporters, the Congress leader said that it was a tragic incident and that he did not want to 'politicise' it.

''I don't want to give it a political colour but I think the local administration is to be partly blamed for it....mistakes were committed by them,'', he added.

Rahul also sought enhanced compensation for the families of the victims of the tragedy. ''It is a huge tragedy....the state government should show magnanimity and give them more compensation and the compensation should be given quickly,'' he said.

Earlier on his way to Hathras from Delhi, the Congress leader also visited Pilkhana in Aligarh, where he met the families of the Hathras victims.

One of the kin of a stampede victim said that he told Rahul that the incident happened after a large number of devotees rushed to touch the feet of the Baba and were stopped by his security guards.

Six 'sevadars' (organisers) have been arrested so far in connection with the incident and a cash reward of Rs one lakh was announced on chief 'sevadar' Dev Prakash Madhukar, who has been missing since the tragedy.