Moral Accountability for the Tirupati Stampede Lies with Naidu: Former TTD Chairman
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Tirupati, Jan 9 (NationPress) YSR Congress Party leader and former chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Bhumana Karunakar Reddy on Thursday insisted that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu must assume moral accountability for the tragic stampede at Tirupati, which resulted in the loss of six devotees' lives.
The former MLA called for decisive action against the responsible officials and requested compensation for the victims. He stated to the media that the additional EO, SP, and their team, along with the TTD vigilance wing, should be held accountable, with demands for Rs 1 crore each for the families of the deceased and Rs 20 lakh each for the injured.
This unfortunate incident stemmed from administrative ineptitude, which prioritizes serving Chandrababu Naidu over Lord Venkateswara, a fact that is glaringly apparent. Reddy pointed out that Naidu often opts for publicity and self-aggrandizement, recalling a similar incident during the Godavari Pushkarams in 2015 that resulted in over 30 fatalities due to his obsession with publicity.
According to Karunakar Reddy, the TTD official apparatus is primarily focused on appeasing the Chief Minister while simultaneously leveling false accusations against former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party members.
He remarked that this is not the first occurrence of Vaikunta Ekadasi, and during the tenure of YSRCP, the event unfolded smoothly. “The incident is a result of systemic failure rather than a lack of coordination, leading to the tragic loss of lives—people came to seek the Lord’s blessings, and the officials' mismanagement has caused immense suffering,” he added.
Former minister Gudivada Amarnath also held the government accountable for the loss of lives during the Tirupati stampede, labeling it a dark chapter in TTD’s history.
In a media briefing in Visakhapatnam, Reddy attributed the incident to negligence and an overall failure of the government and TTD. “Vaikunta Ekadasi is a highly revered occasion, as devotees flock to witness the opening of the doors to have darshan of the Lord, a tradition upheld for decades. It is the responsibility of both TTD and the government to ensure proper arrangements,” he stated.
He reminisced that during the YSRCP administration, recognizing the day’s significance and the anticipated crowds, the Vaikunta Dwaram was kept open for 10 days to accommodate devotees.
Reddy further accused the coalition government of being more invested in political mudslinging and perpetuating controversies, starting with the Tirupati Laddu issue and unfairly blaming the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, showing a blatant disregard for the sanctity and reverence of the holy shrine.
