Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Women Faint Amid Chaos at BJP Mayor’s Rakhi Event
A large Rakshabandhan celebration was held in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
Sarees and other gifts were being distributed to women.
More than 20,000 women came to the event.
The crowd became very crowded and difficult to control.
Hot and humid weather made the situation worse.
Some women fainted, fell, or were injured while people pushed toward the stage.
A few children became separated from their families.
Ambulances took some people away for help.
Women at the event said there was not enough water or safe space to move around.
More than 20,000 women attended a Rakshabandhan event in Bareilly where sarees were distributed.
Crowding, intense heat, and pushing caused women to faint and suffer injuries.
Several women fell near the stage after some attendees breached barricades.
Children became separated from families, while ambulances transported unconscious and injured women.
Attendees criticized the lack of water, safe pathways, and adequate crowd-control arrangements.
- Who
- More than 20,000 women attended an event organized by Bareilly Mayor Umesh Gautam; police and event officials were also present.
- What
- A saree-distribution and Rakshabandhan event became chaotic, with women fainting and suffering injuries amid crowding.
- When
- The event was held one day before Rakshabandhan and was scheduled to run from morning to evening.
- Where
- Bareilly Club Ground in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- The crowd grew dense amid heat, humidity, pushing, gift distribution, and what attendees described as inadequate crowd-management arrangements.
Attendees’ Concerns
Organizers’ Reported Response
Crowd management
Attendees’ Concerns
Women attending the event said the arrangements were inadequate, with unsafe pathways, insufficient water, and poor control over the crowd.
Organizers’ Reported Response
Mayor Umesh Gautam reportedly tried to disperse attendees into different areas and sent his son, Parth Gautam, to the main gate so rakhis could also be tied there.
Movement toward gifts
Attendees’ Concerns
Attendees said pressure intensified during gift distribution, causing pushing, shoving, falls, and injuries.
Organizers’ Reported Response
The event had distributed coupons in advance, and organizers attempted to redirect the crowd after the situation worsened.
Police involvement
Attendees’ Concerns
The incident involved injuries and ambulances, and attendees questioned the event’s safety arrangements.
Organizers’ Reported Response
Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said police had not been informed about the event in advance; officials said no formal complaint had been lodged.
- Reported attendance
- More than 20,000 women
- Event organizer
- Bareilly BJP Mayor Umesh Gautam
- Venue
- Bareilly Club Ground, Uttar Pradesh
- Main causes reported
- Dense crowds, heat, humidity, pushing, and shoving
- Police notification
- Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said police had not been informed in advance.
- Reported response
- Ambulances transported unconscious and injured women, while announcements sought to reunite separated children with families.
- Complaints from attendees
- Insufficient drinking water, unsafe pathways, and poor crowd management