Tirupati stampede: YSRCP wants A.P. CM Chandrababu Naidu to own moral responsibility

YSRCP demands accountability from State Govt for Vaikunta Ekadasi stampede, accuses CM Naidu of shirking responsibility.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has squarely blamed the State Government of shirking its responsibility over the unfortunate stampede witnessed ahead of Vaikunta Ekadasi Festival and demanded that accountability be fixed over those responsible for the incident.

At a media conference in Tirupati on Sunday (January 19, 2025), former MLA of Tirupati and the party’s undivided Chittoor district unit president Bhumana Karunakar Reddy has categorically stated that the incident was a failure of the State Government and asked the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to own up moral responsibility for the incident.

Mr. Reddy, who is a former Chairman of the TTD Trust Board, wondered how the TTD, having the capacity to manage a huge crowd of four lakh pilgrims during Brahmotsavams, had botched up with a small crowd of 2000 pilgrims waiting in a park.

“After holding a formal review meeting, Mr. Naidu has washed off his hands by suspending two small-time officials and transferring three bureaucrats, as if he does not have any moral responsibility over the failure”.

Referring to the scheduled visit of a Central Government official to Tirumala in the aftermath of the stampede as well as the fire mishap in the Tirumala temple kitchen, which has subsequently been cancelled, Mr. Reddy accused the Chief Minister of ‘managing’ the situation by raising it with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“This is for the first time that the Centre is concerned over the state of affairs at Tirumala. The situation has degenerated to such an extent that the Union government is directly seeking a clear picture over the spate of unsavoury developments”, he said, recalling that the same centre had sought the advice of TTD in crowd management during the installation ceremony of Sri Ramlalla temple at Ayodhya last year.