Rishi Ajay Das, the founder of Kinnar Akhada, has expelled both Mamta Kulkarni and Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi from the Akhada.
Four people were reportedly killed after a stampede broke out during a procession at the Kumbh Mela's Juna Akhada in Haridwar on Wednesday morning.It has been reported that the stampede took place following a brawl between the priests and the devotees over the removal of a vehicle.There are reports that two women were among the devotees killed in the ensuing stampede and several others were injured. The stampede took place on the last day of the Shahi Snan.
"You should ask people behind Dharma Sansad about this.... We talk about taking the entire society along," BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, when asked about the matter at a press conference.
Tripathi, with tattoos on her hands, is one of the most influential figures in the LGBT community in India.
Pakistan on Monday summoned India's Charge d'Affaires to the ministry of foreign affairs and conveyed its concern over the alleged hate speeches made at a conclave held in Haridwar recently to incite violence against the minorities.
Seventy-six lawyers have written to Chief Justice N V Ramana, requesting him to take suo motu cognisance of hate speeches allegedly made at separate events organised in Delhi and Haridwar.
Thousands of sadhus have already reached the holy town of Trimbakeshwar, which enshrines one of the 12 jyotirlingas.
No arrest has been made yet in connection with alleged hate speeches delivered at a "Dharma Sansad" held in Uttarakhand's Haridwar recently to incite violence against the minorities, police said on Friday.
The former Congress chief made the remarks while referring to a 'Dharma Sansad' held at Ved Niketan Dham in Haridwar from December 17-20 where hate speeches were allegedly made against a community.
More than 3crore (30million) devotees are expected to attend the month-long event, which transforms this temple city into a mini-India, and about 25lakh are likely to take a dip in Kshipra River as part of the 'shahi snan' on the opening day Monday.
At a Madhya Pradesh cabinet meeting held in the temple town of Ujjain, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ceded his seat to Lord Mahakal's portrait, an act some former bureaucrats said was "unprecedented" in the history of the state and could have been avoided.
Held at Ved Niketan Dham in Haridwar from December 17-20, the Dharma Sansad was organised by Yati Narasimhanand Giri of the Juna Akhada, who is already under police scanner for making hate speeches and inciting violence against Muslims.
The ancient Ganga-Godavari-temple on the bank of river Godavari was later closed till next Kumbh mela to be held in 2027-28.
The first 'shahi snan' of the ongoing Kumbh Mela began in Nashik on Saturday with thousands of devotees, including 'mahants' of various akhadas, thronging the ghats of the River Godavari to take the holy dip.
Rarely have we seen such intoxication over power, which ignores the cries of those dying, notes Jyoti Punwani.
Though some Hindutva groups have said they will prevent the women's group from entering the temple.
'No other country other than India can do it on this scale.'
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