Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan has expressed strong condemnation over the handling of the tragic stampede at the Tirupati temple, which resulted in the deaths of six devotees. In a post on social media, Jagan accused the state government, led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, of downplaying the incident and attempting to protect those responsible.
The stampede, which marked the first of its kind in the history of the globally recognized Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), occurred despite the presence of full administrative control by the TTD board, including its Chairman, Executive Officer (EO), Additional EO, local Collector, and the Superintendent of Police (SP). Jagan held these officials responsible for the incident, claiming their negligence contributed to the disaster.
కరీంనగర్ జిల్లా సమావేశంలో జగిత్యాల ఎమ్మెల్యే సంజయ్ మాట్లాడుతుండగా మైక్ గుంజుకున్న హుజురాబాద్ ఎమ్మెల్యే పాడి కౌశిక్ రెడ్డి
సంజయ్ను "ఒరేయ్ ఏ పార్టీరా నీది" అంటూ సంబోధించిన కౌశిక్ రెడ్డి pic.twitter.com/yqoI3e0FWq
— Telugu Scribe (@TeluguScribe) January 12, 2025
Criticizing the lack of concrete action, Jagan questioned why these officials were not arrested or dismissed, instead of merely transferring them or taking minimal action. He accused the government of shielding the individuals responsible for the deaths of devotees.
Jagan also expressed disbelief over Deputy Chief Minister Pawan’s demand for an apology, calling it a trivial response to such a serious issue. He questioned whether the loss of six lives could be compensated with an apology and called for appropriate legal action against the responsible parties.
The former CM demanded the immediate dismissal of the TTD Chairman, EO, Additional EO, SP, and Collector, emphasizing that strict legal measures should be taken in accordance with the law. Jagan warned that failing to act would likely provoke widespread outrage from the global community of Lord Venkateswara’s devotees.