India News | Tirupati Stampede: CM Naidu Announces Judicial Inquiry, Transfers SP, Suspends One DSP
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced a judicial inquiry into the Tirupati stampede in which six people were killed and dozens injured, and transferred three senior officials including the Superintendent of Police of Tirupati district.
Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Jan 9 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced a judicial inquiry into the Tirupati stampede in which six people were killed and dozens injured, and transferred three senior officials including the Superintendent of Police of Tirupati district.
One deputy superintendent of police, who was on the spot, has been suspended, he said.
Expressing grief over the Wednesday night incident, Naidu also announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those injured.
Addressing a press conference, the chief minister also attacked the previous YSRCP for changing practices in the temple. According to him, a new system of issuing tokens was introduced by the previous regime in Tirupati as opposed to the earlier system of giving them in Tirumala hills.
Also Read | Noida Shocker: 24-Year-Old Man With Physical Disability Beaten to Death in Cholas, Probe Underway.
"In the past, so many problems have come up. We are correcting everything, starting with prasadam (consecrated food), annadanam (free food to devotees), even cottages, administration and everything. All of a sudden this incident happened.
"This incident also happened due to a legacy problem. Never in my lifetime tokens were given in Tirupati for 'darshan' (to see the deity). For the last five years, they (YSRCP) introduced new practices," Naidu said, without directly naming the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party.
He further said he noticed some loopholes in the administration and monitoring mechanisms in Tirupati which should have been 'perfect'. Naidu also said no "adequate precautions" were taken while opening the gates and that triggered the incident.
DSP reportedly opened the gate to help a sick woman come out of the area where the devotees were waiting. However, the crowd apparently thought that the gate had been opened and rushed out, resulting in the stampede.
Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple.
Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10.
Recounting the horrific incident, one of the survivors D Venkata Lakshmi said,"'for five minutes we thought all of us were dead. I have been coming to the temple for the past 25 years and it has never happened like this."
Many others who escaped the tragedy on Wednesday night complained about long waiting hours to get tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam to the sudden opening of the gates that prompted the crowd to surge ahead.
According to Lakshmi, people rushed forward and up to 10 people fell where she was standing.
"Though I was raising a hue and cry that I was falling on the side, people were still rushing from behind and could not be controlled. I don't know if they were pushing ahead, but the men were uncontrollable. People were walking over devotees. I could not even breathe for a long time," she said.
Earlier, Naidu visited the hospital where the injured are being treated. He also said that all those injured people will have 'darshan' tomorrow, after that, they will be dropped at their respective homes.
"Knowingly or unknowingly and also some negligence...One DSP who was on the spot was suspended and also Harinadh Reddy, director Gosala, who is in charge of that spot, we are suspending him," Naidu said.
The chief minister said he would also streamline the 'darshan' by linking it to the Aadhar --online and offline.
"I am appealing to everybody, Balaji is a very powerful God. Anybody will do anything bad for him, he will punish them during this janam (lifetime) only. Not future 'janam'. That is the belief I am having," he said.
He also urged that there should be no politics over the incident.
"Respect spiritualism. Respect the sentiments of people. That is what I am appealing for. I am not blaming anybody...but at the same time I am appealing to everybody, you want to do politics, you do it anywhere but not this centre. If you do politics here, then only Balaji will look (take care of you)," he said.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)