Jagan Holds CM Chandrababu Naidu Responsible for Tirupati Tragedy
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Tirupati, Jan 9 (NationPress) YSR Congress Party President and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday held Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu accountable for the stampede in Tirupati that resulted in the loss of six lives and left many others injured.
After visiting the injured at a nearby hospital, he remarked that the sanctity of the Tirumala temple has been diminished, as such a tragic event had never occurred before.
He claimed that the entire police force was occupied with Chandrababu Naidu's three-day tour in Kuppam, leaving no personnel for crowd management, which directly contributed to the stampede.
Jagan stated that Naidu, along with the EO, AEO, TTD Chairman, SP, and Collector, should be held accountable for the incident that led to six fatalities and nearly 50 injuries.
The former Chief Minister called for an exgratia payment of Rs 50 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh for the injured.
Jagan Mohan Reddy noted that every year, countless devotees visit during Vaikunata Ekadasi when the Vaikunta Dwaram is opened, and that adequate arrangements should have been made as customary. However, this year, he observed negligence and a lack of manpower for crowd control, resulting in the unfortunate incident.
"This incident illustrates how coalition leaders and TTD officials regard the devotees who travel from far and wide for darshan,” he stated.
The YSRCP leader reminisced about the careful and passionate management of such events during his party's administration, alleging that this year, caution was disregarded.
He criticized the arrangements, noting that devotees were left in parks and other locations without food or water, with no proper crowd management or queue system in place.
Jagan Mohan Reddy accused Chandrababu Naidu, who misrepresented the Tirupati laddu, of showing little respect for the sacred site.
Despite officials asserting that the incident occurred solely at Bharagi Mattam, he mentioned that injured individuals arrived from all token counter centers. Furthermore, he pointed out that ambulances arrived late, with some victims reaching hospitals independently, and that official efforts to see to patients only began after they learned he would be visiting to offer condolences.
