Tirupati stampede: Naidu admits crowd management 'failed,' suspends 2 officials
What's the story
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a judicial inquiry into the tragic stampede that took place in Tirupati on January 8. The incident, which happened during the Vaikuntha Ekadashi ticket distribution, claimed six lives and injured 40 devotees. In his statement, Naidu said, "A Judicial inquiry will be ordered into the incident to submit a detailed report."
Accountability
Officials suspended, transferred following Tirupati stampede
In the wake of the incident, two officials have been suspended. Goshala director Arunadh Reddy and a police personnel are facing suspension for their roles in the tragedy, while SP AEO Gautami and another person are being transferred. While CM Naidu admitted failure in crowd management, he stopped short of blaming any party or person.
Preventive measures
CM Naidu emphasizes need for better coordination
"I'm not blaming anyone. I've been in politics for the last 45 years. Security was deployed, but more precautions should have been taken," he said, adding better coordination is needed to handle large crowds. He said if officials had released tickets earlier, the stampede could have been averted. The stampede occurred late Wednesday evening as around 4,000-5,000 people thronged the MGM High School counter in Bairagipatteda near the Vishnu Nivasam temple.
Tokens
TTD made 1,20,000 tokens
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) chairman BR Naidu claimed that when a gate was opened to help a sick woman, the mob suddenly rushed forward, triggering the stampede. The TTD had made 1,20,000 tokens for the "sarva darshan" from January 10-12. The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a compensation of ₹25 lakh for the families of those who died in the stampede.