Andhra Pradesh should take concrete steps to prevent stampede at Tirumala, other temples
C R Gowri Shanker Follow on Twitter| Published: 9th January 2025 8:53 pm IST
Hyderabad: Second major stampede haunts Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
While one cannot blame Naidu for the Tirumala fiasco, but it
has happened again during his tenure after the deadly July 14, 2015 stampede
where 27 pilgrims had died and 20 injured. The event was during Godavari
Pushkaralu on the banks of the river Rajamahendravaram in Rajahmundry. It will
certainly give the Opposition a stick to beat the TD led NDA government in
Andhra Pradesh.
The stampede for Vaikunta Ekadasi dwaram darshan tokens has
left six persons dead and 48 injured. The injured are undergoing treatment in
Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Hospital and SVIMS.
Tragically, the dead include five women and one male. A
woman from Tamil Nadu who had fallen sick, Mallika, 49 died due to suffocation
and ill health, according to preliminary investigation.
Tirumala
Tirupati Devasthanam had announced 1.20 lakh tokens for Vaikunta
Ekadasi, considered auspicious for darshan of Lord Venkateswara Swamy on
January 10 to 12.
Not an isolated case
The stampede in the temple town of Tirumala is not an
isolated case. Such incidents have been happening over the years at major
temples and other events across the country due to the rush of pilgrims,
visitors. The main reason is mismanagement. The last incident in Andhra Pradesh
took place in Rajamahendravaram during the tenure of Naidu.
Preliminary investigations in Tirumala stampede revealed a
woman devotee Mallika, suddenly fell ill while waiting in the queue at one of
the token counters at Bairagipatteda Park and the security guard opened the
gate for taking her to hospital. Meanwhile, the crowds waiting outside took
advantage of the opening of the gate and rushed inside leading to stampede.
The overwhelming crowd at the counters, including Vishnu
Nivasam, Bairagipatteda, and Ramachandra Pushkarini, led to chaos as the
arrangements were reportedly not adequate.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ordered an inquiry and
asked the Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board, B.R.
Naidu to ensure medicare and succor to the injured.
While B R Naidu regretted the incident and promised all help
to kin of the dead and injured, Bhanu Prakash Reddy, a TTD board member said 91
counters were opened for the distribution of tokens which was to commence on
Thursday morning.
“This has never happened in TTD’s history. I apologise to
devotees. We will conduct an inquiry and take serious action and stand by the
victims and injured,” he said.
Temple authorities had decided to deploy around 3000
policemen in Tirumala and Tirupathi for the event.
Pushkar fiasco
When Chandrababu Naidu was CM and went to undertake a holy
dip at Pushkar Ghat in Rajamahendravaram on July 14, 2015 there was a rush of
pilgrims and in the process 27 pilgrims died in the stampede, mostly women and
children.
An inquiry was ordered and the government then announced
ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to kin of the dead and free medicare to the
injured.
Then Opposition leader Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy blamed Naidu
for the deaths alleging that it was “a bit of a gimmick and publicity stunt” by
CM Naidu in taking holy dip at a public Pushkar Ghat instead of one earmarked
for VIPs.
He demanded CM to do soul searching and resign.
In fact, stampedes at major temple festivities have been
happening over the years. The last being on March 31, 2023 when 36 people were
killed when a slab constructed on top of an ancient well collapsed during
a havan programme held during Sri Rama Navami at a temple in
Indore.
On January 1, 2022, 12 people died and several injured in a
stampede at famed Mata Vaishnava Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir due to sudden
rush.
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