On the third day of the budget session in Parliament, opposition parties, including Congress and SP, raised a storm in both Houses regarding the deaths in the Kumbh Mela stampede. They accused the government of concealing the actual death toll, protesting against the government and demanding accurate information on the deaths. In the Rajya Sabha, Congress President and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge paid tribute to the thousands who died in the stampede on January 29 at Kumbh Mela. Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to retract his statement about 'thousands of deaths.' In response, Kharge clarified, saying, 'This is my estimate. If the figures are incorrect, the government should state the truth. I did not intend to blame anyone. If I’m wrong, I will apologize.'