Political Blame Game Over Tirupati Tragedy

A stampede incident in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, resulted in six deaths and many injuries, with former Chief Minister Reddy blaming the current administration's negligence. The police were deployed for another event, leaving no personnel for crowd management. Reddy called for compensation for victims' families.

On Thursday, a tragic stampede unfolded at Tirupati's Bairagi Patteda, claiming six lives and injuring dozens during a rush for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam tickets. The opposition leader, Reddy, criticized Chief Minister Naidu and the government's poor management.

With police forces diverted for Naidu's tour at Kuppam, no personnel was available for crowd control, asserted Reddy at a press conference. The former chief minister demanded an ex-gratia for victims' families and injured devotees, highlighting the administration's negligence.

The annual Vaikunta Ekadashi draws lakhs of pilgrims, yet this year's arrangements fell short, Reddy claimed, degrading the sanctity of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. Previous incidents during Naidu's tenure also faced similar criticisms for inadequate crowd management.

(With inputs from agencies.)