Tirupati stampede: Police forces were diverted to CM Naidu's Kuppam programme, accuses Jagan Mohan Reddy

Hyderabad: YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy while expressing deep concern over the Tirupati stampede incident claimed that the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who was in Kuppam from January 6 to 8, diverted police resources for his personal programmes, leaving no backup arrangements for managing the massive crowd at the temple that had led to the tragedy. He demanded immediate accountability from the government, TTD administration, and district officials.

On Thursday, Jagan met the injured devotees in Tirupati and highlighted that such a tragic incident is unprecedented in Tirumala’s history, where lakhs of devotees gather every year for Vaikunta Ekadasi without any issues. He questioned the arrangements made at the premises. He criticised the TTD and the state government for their negligence and lack of planning.

"The crowd for Vaikunta Ekadasi is expected every year. Why were there no proper arrangements at ticket counters? Why was security not deployed? This incident could have been avoided if the administration and police had acted systematically," YS Jagan said.

Claiming that CM used police resources for his personal programmes, he added that people were made to wait at Padmavati Park Centre and Bhairagipatnam counters from 9 am, but the counters only opened at 8:30 pm. This delay, coupled with the lack of basic facilities like food and water, led to the chaos, he added.

Y S Jagan stated that the TTD, district administration, and police had failed in their responsibilities. Despite anticipating the crowd, poor planning and coordination resulted in the tragedy. He also criticised the FIR filed under Section 194 BNSS, calling it incorrect and demanding that Section 105 BNSS, which is related to the government negligence, be applied instead.

He demanded that the Chief Minister, TTD Chairman, EO, Additional EO, District Collector, and SP must take full responsibility for the stampede. An ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh must be provided to the families of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to those injured in the incident. Also immediate reforms in crowd management, especially during major events like Vaikunta Ekadasi, to prevent such tragedies in the future, he added.

Y S Jagan emphasised that in the previous government, such events were managed efficiently without incidents. He called this stampede a glaring example of negligence by the current administration and urged the government to prioritise the welfare and safety of devotees.

The YSRCP chief also demanded a thorough investigation into the lapses and proper action against those responsible. "The sanctity of Tirumala and the safety of devotees should never be compromised," he said.