Pawan Wants TTD Top Brass to Own Responsibility for Tirupati Stampede
Vijayawada: Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan reacted severely to the Tirupati stampede, asking Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) executive officer J. Shyamala Rao, additional EO Venkaiah Chowdary, devasthanam chairman and the trust board to own up responsibility for the tragic death of six devotees and injuries to several others.
The Deputy CM arrived in Tirupati on Thursday and called on injured devotees undergoing treatment at the SVIMS Hospital.
Later, speaking to media persons, he said, “It is a very unfortunate incident. My heart is burdened with pain for those who lost their lives and also for the injured persons and their families. Though we cannot bring their lives back, we must be concerned about the kind of pain and grief their families are undergoing.”
Pawan Kalyan said, “We, as a government, take the responsibility for what has happened. I tender my apologies to the nation, to those who practice Sanatana Dharma. and to all the Hindus for the mishap at Tirupati. We are not going to evade responsibility. I will ask Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to send TTD members and police to visit the families of those who have lost their lives and also injured to tender an apology and to instil confidence in them about the government.”
Referring to the recent observation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar that VIP culture in temples must go and importance given to the ordinary devotees in darshan, the Deputy Chief Minister called upon TTD to give up its VIP-centric culture and give priority to common devotees. He wanted the same practice to be adopted in all the temples of the state.
Pointing out to the capabilities of TTD in handling lakhs of devotees, he expressed concern over the slackness on part of a section of police personnel. He maintained that while some officials worked honestly to manage the crowd, others failed to act, maybe intentionally.
Pawan Kalyan alleged deliberate conspiracy to tarnish the image of both the TTD and the state government by causing such tragic incidents.
The Deputy CM felt the mishap might have been allowed to happen on purpose to defame the government. He vowed to take the lapses of TTD to the notice of the Chief Minister for necessary action and correcting the situation.
