Unauthorised hawkers brawl with glass bottles in Tirumala

Panicked devotees ran for cover near the Nandakam Rest House as the violence threatened to spill over. Serious concerns about security measures at the holy site have been raised.

Tirumala Police said the altercation erupted between one Srikanth from Nalgonda, and one Srinivas from Tirupati. Both men had been illegally selling items such as soaps and shampoos to pilgrims and offering to apply "namam" (tilak) for money.

Their long-standing rivalry over territorial control escalated into the confrontation. They got hold of glass bottles from nearby shops. The incident left Srikanth with a severe head injury. He was shifted to the SVRR Government General Hospital in Tirupati. Srinivas received first-aid before being taken into police custody.

Tirupati MP Dr. M. Gurumoorthy expressed deep concern over the incident, stating that it "substantiates the fact that Tirumala has become a safe haven for unauthorised persons." He questioned the effectiveness of current security measures, emphasising that the safety of visiting devotees should be a top priority for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

“How can the safety of the devotees be guaranteed when the security agencies have failed to prevent the entry and stay of unauthorised persons/hawkers at Tirumala without even doing their background check?" the MP asked.

He urged the state government to take the incident seriously and implement stricter security protocols.