Maharaj said different stories appearing in the media forced him to appear in the public despite the fact that he was not well. The stampede killed 63 and injured over 100 people.
Three days after a stampede at his ashram killed 63 people, Kripalu Maharaj today made a brief public appearance as the hermitage announced financial relief for victims of the tragedy.
Claiming he was ill, Maharaj appeared before mediapersons but did not answer questions fielded by them.
"I suffered a fracture in my leg and was ill making it impossible for me to come out in the open," he said.
Maharaj said different stories appearing in the media forced him to appear in the public despite the fact that he was not well.
The ashram announced a relief of Rs1 lakh to each bereaved family and Rs50,000 each to the injured.
Ashram spokesman Swami Mukundanand said the hermitage had provided Rs1.01 crore to the district magistrate to be distributed among victims of the tragedy.
Mukundanand said the ashram would also provide free education and medical facilities to the chidren of those killed in the stampede.
In the stampede, 63 people were killed and over 100 injured during a religious feast at the ashram at Mangarh on Thursday. A preliminary inquiry conducted by Allahabad divisional commissioner into the stampede held the management
of the ashram responsible, saying "lack of foresight and negligence" on its part led to the tragedy.
The report said the Jagatguru Kripalu Parishad Trust had informed police through a letter about the function, principal secretary (home) Fateh Bahadur had told reporters in Pratapgarh yesterday.
However, the trust had said that the function would take place between 12 noon and 6pm and had requested for 10 to 15 policemen. But people has started assembling at the ashram from 9am, he had said.
The inquiry found the organisers had not made proper arrangements for controlling the crowd and the gate of the ashram, which also had a structural fault, fell because of "lack of foresight and negligence" on their part, he said.
"As per the preliminary report... prima facie (Kripaluji Maharaj) ashram authorities are responsible for the mishap," he said.
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