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In the wake of the stampede at Tirupati during the Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrations, former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairmen Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and VY Subba Reddy have expressed outrage over the incident, calling for accountability and immediate action against responsible officials.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy accused the TTD administration of prioritising political agendas over serving the temple deity, Lord Venkateswara. He pointed fingers at Additional Executive Officer (AEO) Venkaiiah Chowdary, the Superintendent of Police (SP), their subordinates, and the vigilance wing of the TTD, holding them responsible for the chaos that led to the loss of six lives.
“It is not lack of coordination but failure of the system that led to this incident,” he said. “There are irregularities galore in the administration.”
He alleged that the TTD machinery was more focused on pleasing the ruling party members than ensuring the safety and well-being of devotees.
“The EO and his assistant have been showing priority not on serving the Lord Venkateswara but to please the Chief Minister and ruling party members,” Reddy added.
Reddy demanded that Chief Minister Naidu take moral responsibility for the incident and urged stern action against negligent officials. He also proposed an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore to the families of the deceased and Rs 20 lakh to those injured.
“People who lost their lives came to see the God, and the mismanagement of officials made them and their families suffer,” he added.
VY SUBBA REDDY BLAMES LACK OF SIGNAGES
Ex-TTD chairman VY Subba Reddy echoed similar sentiments in a separate exclusive interview, blaming the TTD Board and the police administration for their lapses.
He, too, urged the state government to provide immediate ex-gratia payments to affected families and ensure that proper protocols are implemented over the next 10 days to prevent further incidents.
“This tragedy highlights visible lapses in administration, and we must ensure that such negligence is never repeated,” Subba Reddy stated.
Adding to the criticism, Reddy highlighted a glaring communication failure at the token counters. He pointed out the absence of proper signage and information boards, which compounded the confusion among devotees.
“Tirupati town is connected to four neighbouring states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Pondicherry. Devotees arrive from all directions, and they should have been informed clearly about the status of counters. So, we have to display to them which counter is closed, which counter is taken, which counter is crowded with people,” he said.
He emphasised that in previous years, such information was prominently displayed, which helped manage crowds efficiently and prevented such incidents. The lack of such measures this year added to the chaos and mismanagement that led to the stampede, he said.
