A tragic stampede at Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati left six people dead and nearly 40 injured during the Vaikuntha Ekadashi preparations. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited the site on Thursday to assess the situation and address the administrative shortcomings that led to the incident.
Andhra Pradesh Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia for the families of the deceased. “We cannot replace lives, but we will support the families with financial aid,” he said.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin also announced Rs 2 lakh assistance for one victim's family and expressed condolences for the lives lost.
Opposition blames government
Opposition leaders criticised the Chandrababu Naidu government for administrative failures. Former TTD Chairman Bhuma Karunakar Reddy expressed sorrow over the tragedy and blamed the lack of proper arrangements for Vaikuntha Ekadashi, despite anticipating a massive influx of devotees.
Reddy accused the ruling party of politicising Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), neglecting devotees’ welfare, and compromising the sanctity of Lord Venkateswara’s temple.
Crowd management failures
During his visit, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu fiercely questioned TTD officials and police about their crowd management strategies. “Why did this happen? When were the tokens issued, and what arrangements were made?” he asked.
Naidu criticised the decision to allow 4,500 people instead of the planned 2,000, highlighting lapses in crowd control and understanding of public psychology. “When you knew large numbers were coming, why didn’t you plan to prevent panic and overcrowding?” he questioned.
He also scrutinised the medical response, asking where ambulances were stationed, their arrival times, and whether additional ambulances were dispatched promptly.
Also Read: 6 killed, many injured in stampede over collecting tickets at Tirupati
Ticket issuance and event arrangements
TTD officials revealed that 1.2 lakh online tickets and 2 lakh offline tickets were issued for Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan at the Tirumala temple, scheduled from January 10 to 19. Similar arrangements were made as in previous years, but Naidu criticised the lack of innovation: “Why didn’t we change the pattern or use better technology to manage the crowd?”
Police have since deployed personnel near ticket counters to manage crowds. The Tirupati Collector S. Venkateswar confirmed these measures, aiming to prevent further incidents.
Chief Minister’s emphasis on accountability
Naidu stressed that effective administration could have prevented the tragedy. “It’s the administration’s job to ensure safety, not to respond after an incident has occurred,” he said during a meeting with TTD officials at the administration office following his site visit.
This incident has raised serious concerns about the management of large gatherings, especially during religious events in Andhra Pradesh. Authorities now face pressure to overhaul crowd control strategies to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Also Read: Panic as gate opened for sick woman: How Tirupati stampede unfolded
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