Raipur: In Chhattisgarh, around 18,500 prisoners took a ‘holy bath’ with water brought from the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj of Uttar Pradesh, where the Maha Kumbh Mela is taking place. The ‘punya snan’ or holy bath was carried out in around 33 prisons, including five central jails, 20 district jails and eight sub-jails across the state, The Times of India reported.
It was Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who handles the home portfolio of the BJP government in the state, who brought the holy water from Sangam, which was distributed to jails across the state. The minister said that the aim of the bath was to offer prisoners a chance for spiritual purification.
He claimed that the prisoners desired to partake in the sacred tradition of Ganga snan (bathing in Ganga) to gain spiritual merit, and the state government organised an opportunity for them to cleanse themselves. He asserted that the decision to organise the event stems from cultural values as well as traditions. The sacred water brought from Prayagraj was mixed with normal water.
Videos and photos emerged on social media where inmates could be seen standing around water tanks, bathing, and chanting slogans.
Meanwhile, the question of purity of water at various ghats of Prayagraj still remains a question as the government data itself confirmed the presence of harmful levels of impurities. The waters are reported to contain faecal bacteria as well as deadly levels of BOD (biological oxygen demand).
However, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed that the water is not only clean but also fit for bathing and even drinking. He claimed that the Uttar Pradesh Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board are continuously monitoring the water quality at the Sangam. This is despite the government's own data that there was the presence of harmful pollutants in various ghats of Prayagraj.