Collector blames pilgrims for Andhra Pradesh stampede

The East Godavari district collector in his report on July 14 stampede at the main bathing ghat of the river Godavari near Rajahmundry, has squarely blamed the unruly crowd for the death of 27 pilgrims on the spot, totally absolving the VIPs including Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. The death toll now stands at 32.

Collector H  Arun Kumar, in his report, submitted to the State Human Rights Commission reportedly said that “it was the pilgrims who were to blame because they breached the barricades after the chief minister left. “ Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took a holy dip at 6.26 am and the tragedy struck at around 8.30 am,” the report says.

The collector is said to have mentioned in the report that the police and security personnel deployed at the ghat couldn’t be able to control the flow of pilgrims in front of the Pushkar Ghat, the pivotal location of the event where the crowd from all directions had gathered resulting in stampede. The list of deceased and their details were mentioned in the report.

However, opposition party leaders have blamed the chief minister for the tragedy alleging that Naidu’s film craze led to stampede. It is believed that a popular film director Boyapati Srinivas was seen filming the chief minister and his family members performing puja.

The APCC also said that presence of Naidu has forced the police to shut the barricades at the ghat resulting in surge of 60,000 pilgrims.

“Popular film director Boyapati was seen directing the chief minister and his family members at the main Pushkar ghat, where general public were supposed to take the holy dip, and Chandrababu Naidu was posing to the camera instead of showing the fervor, which the event demands making a mockery of the ritual,” YSRC party senior leader Botsa Satyanarayana told.

 “The concern of the chief minister is only to promote himself as organizing the event grander than that of Kumbha Mela and to show it off to the world, having little concern for the devotees”.

“The publicity mongering of the chief minister has taken the lives of over 32 people and the collector in his report to the Human Rights Commission has clearly mentioned that the restive crowd could not be managed as the main gate was closed for over two hours and they were let in at once,” Botsa said.

However,  the chief minister has remained in Rajahmundry following the incident and personally monitoring arrangements for the festival.