Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday paid tributes to “thousands” who died in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on January 29, triggering an uproar in the Rajya Sabha.

Officials have said that 30 persons were killed and 60 others were injured at the Maha Kumbh pilgrimage site. However, several media reports have suggested that the actual toll could be significantly higher.

On Monday, following objections from the treasury benches, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urged Kharge to retract the remark.

“The LoP [Leader of Opposition] has indicated a scenario using figures to the extent of thousands,” Dhankhar said. “I appeal to him, in this House, whatever is spoken, carries great weight. You have spoken something which has numbed everyone.”

Dhankhar added: “A message that goes from here, even if it is contradicted, goes to the whole world. Can you go to that extent? I would appeal to you as one of the seniormost leaders of this country, if you put a figure in thousands, I can only appeal to your conscience.”

The leader of the Opposition in the Upper House defended his remark, saying that the number was his estimate and that if he was incorrect, the government “should tell what is the truth”. Kharge said he was ready to be corrected.

“I did not say ‘thousands’ to blame anyone,” the Congress chief said during a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the president’s address. “But how many people died, give that information at least. I will apologise if I am wrong. They should give figures on how many died, how many are missing.”

The stampede broke out between 1 am and 2 am on January 29 as a large number of pilgrims arrived to take a holy bath on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, a spiritually significant day in the Hindu calendar.

The administration had not provided an official toll till nearly 15 hours after the accident. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed his condolences to “the devotees who have lost their loved ones”, even as a senior police official had claimed that no stampede had taken place.

The Maha Kumbh began on January 13 and will end on February 26.

Opposition demands discussion on stampede

In the Lok Sabha on Monday, Opposition MPs shouted slogans against Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath over the stampede at the Maha Kumbh.

The Opposition members said that they had to resort to protests inside the Lower House because the government had not agreed to their demands for a discussion on the stampede.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requested the MPs to raise the matter during the debate on Motion of Thanks to the president’s address, not during the Question Hour.

MPs from Opposition parties also briefly walked out of Rajya Sabha and demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government release a list of those who had died in the stampede, the Hindustan Times reported.

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