Tirupati Stampede: Anger & Action

Tirupati: In the wake of a tragic stampede at the Bairagipatteda token issue centre that claimed six lives, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has initiated stringent action against the officials found negligent either knowingly or unknowingly in their duties.

Naidu expressed his deep grief over the death of devotees during the stampede and said that he has been feeling very bad about it as it had disturbed him a lot.

Speaking to the media at the TTD Administrative Building in Tirupati on Thursday, Naidu announced the immediate transfer of Tirupati Superintendent of Police L Sub-ba Rayudu, TTD JEO M Goutami and CVSO S Sridhar. DSP Ramana Kumar and TTD Goshala Director Harinatha Reddy, who were directly in charge of the token centre, have been suspended. Additionally, Naidu has called for a judicial inquiry into the incident.

The Chief Minister, who became the first CM to visit the TTD Administra-tive Building, began his day by assessing the ground situation at Padmavathi Park, where the crowd had gathered before the stampede. He also interacted with the devotees who were undergoing treatment at the SVIMS hospital.

At a subsequent review meeting with the TTD, Revenue and Police offi-cials, Naidu expressed his displeasure over lapses in planning and execu-tion, particularly the delayed opening of gates at the park that led to the deadly rush. Calling for accountability, he announced measures to ensure such incidents are not repeated.

The CM also outlined relief measures for the victims’ families, including an ex gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh to the kin of the deceased, alongside a contract job for each family. The two seriously injured individuals will receive Rs 5 lakh each, while the remaining 30 injured will be given Rs 2 lakh each. Arrangements were made for the victims and their families to have a special Sri Vari Darshan on Friday before being transported to their homes.

Reflecting on the sanctity of Lord Venkateswara’s temple, Naidu criticised administrative lapses from the previous government. He questioned the introduction of the practice of keeping the Vaikuntha Dwaram open for ten days during Vaikuntha Ekadasi, emphasising the need to consult Agama experts on its appropriateness.

The CM recalled that he met the injured devotees at SVIMS, who said that they feel more sentimental for having a Darshan of Sri Venkateswara Swamy on the first day - on the day of Vaikuntha Ekadasi as they strongly believe it provides them salva-tion.

Naidu posed a series of pointed questions, scrutinising the arrangements made for the large influx of devotees. “Did you anticipate the rush?” he asked them. “When the crowd increased, why wasn’t ticket distribution expedited? What measures were taken when complaints from devotees started pouring in?”

The CM directed the TTD to reassess the process of issuing Vaikuntha Ekadasi tickets in Tirupati and recommended the implementation of an Aadhaar-enabled system for better crowd management. He said that steps will be taken to prevent any such situation in any temple in the state in future.

Calling for coordination between the TTD Trust Board and the executive and their synchronisation with civil administration, Naidu stressed the importance of prioritising devotees’ welfare. He warned against political interference in temple administration, cautioning that such actions could invoke divine retribution.

Endowments Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, TTD Chairman BR Nai-du, EO J Syamala Rao, and other officials were present during the review and subsequent media briefing.