Senior YSR Congress Party leader and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, on Thursday demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu take moral responsibility for the stampede incident in Tirupati and initiate strict action against the officials involved.
Speaking to the media, Bhumana called for holding the Additional EO, SP, their subordinates, and the Vigilance wing of TTD accountable.
He also demanded compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of the deceased and ₹20 lakh for those injured.
“The incident occurred due to administrative inefficiency, as the focus has shifted from serving Lord Venkateswara to pleasing Chandrababu Naidu. This failure is evident,” he stated.
He criticized Naidu, accusing him of prioritizing publicity over safety, citing the Godavari Pushkarams tragedy, which claimed over 30 lives due to alleged mismanagement driven by Naidu's "publicity craze."
Bhumana further alleged that the sudden opening of gates during the Godavari Pushkarams and at the TTD token counter showed a pattern of administrative inefficiency and poor oversight under Naidu's leadership.
“The TTD administration is more focused on pleasing the chief minister and leveling false allegations against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party members,” he said.
He added, “Vaikunta Ekadasi has been managed peacefully in the past, but this time, officials like AEO Venkaiiah Chowdary, the SP, and their subordinates are directly responsible for the incident and should be suspended immediately.”
Bhumana accused the TTD administration of prioritizing appeasement of the chief minister and the ruling party over serving Lord Venkateswara. He also claimed that irregularities in the system had worsened during the current administration.
“This is not a lack of coordination but a complete failure of the system. People who came to worship the Lord have instead suffered due to official mismanagement. The TTD and TDP appear more focused on targeting YSRCP leaders than addressing critical issues,” he concluded.
