Tirupati: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expressed deep sorrow over the death of six devotees in a stampede that occurred near Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati during the distribution of Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan tokens. He held the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials and police responsible for the tragedy and demanded accountability.
The Deputy CM criticized the lack of preparedness by the authorities and questioned their crowd management strategies. “We are facing public outrage due to officials’ negligence. Mistakes made by individuals are damaging governments,” he said. Pawan Kalyan urged the TTD Executive Officer (EO), Additional EO, and police officers present at the site to take responsibility for the incident.
He expressed disappointment over the loss of lives despite the presence of TTD staff and police. “Despite the deployment of officials at the location, six devotees lost their lives. This is deeply disturbing,” he stated.
During his visit to the Padmavati Park area, where the incident occurred, Pawan Kalyan also met the injured devotees at SVIMS Hospital. He advised TTD officials to focus on the safety and well-being of common devotees rather than prioritizing VIP arrangements.
“The TTD should shift its attention from VIP services to ensuring the safety of regular devotees. They must visit the families of the deceased and offer apologies,” he suggested.
Pawan Kalyan raised suspicions about the circumstances surrounding the stampede, questioning whether any police personnel deliberately mishandled the situation. “There are doubts whether someone within the police force acted intentionally to cause chaos. I will take this matter to the Chief Minister and the state DGP,” he said.
Criticizing the lack of a concrete action plan to manage large crowds, Pawan Kalyan said that the authorities must have clear strategies to handle emergencies like stampedes. “There is no proper mechanism to control the massive influx of devotees or to manage rescue operations during such incidents,” he added.
The Deputy CM concluded by stating that the government apologizes to the families of the deceased, the injured devotees, and all those who believe in Hindu Dharma for the tragedy.