తిరుప‌తిలో త‌ప్పెవ‌రిది? శిక్ష ఎవ‌రికి?

Wed Jan 08 19:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Tirupati Temple Stampede Leaves Six Dead, Raises Questions of Negligence

TIRUPATI, INDIA – A stampede at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati during the Vaikuntha Ekadashi festival resulted in the tragic deaths of six pilgrims and injuries to dozens more. The incident has sparked outrage and accusations of negligence against the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the temple’s governing body, and local police.

The TTD’s decision to drastically reduce the number of days for which Vaikuntha Dwar Darshan tickets were issued is being cited as a primary cause of the tragedy. Previously, tickets were distributed for a ten-day period, allowing pilgrims flexibility. However, this year, the TTD limited the issuance to only a few days, leading to a massive surge in pilgrims attempting to secure darshan on those limited days. This resulted in overcrowding and ultimately, the deadly stampede.

Critics allege that the TTD’s actions, under the guise of improving crowd management (“Prakhshalana”), instead exacerbated the situation, resulting in a “Bhakshalana” (consumption or sacrifice of devotees). The sudden change in policy, coupled with inadequate crowd control measures by both the TTD and police, are being blamed for the preventable loss of life.

Many are questioning whether the punishment for the apparent negligence will fall on the ordinary pilgrims instead of those responsible for the flawed planning and execution. The incident has raised serious concerns about the TTD’s management and the effectiveness of the local law enforcement in handling large crowds. Investigations are underway to determine the exact sequence of events and assign responsibility for the devastating consequences. The incident has also fueled speculation of political motives behind the controversial ticket distribution policy, with some suggesting the ruling YSRCP party’s involvement. However, there is currently no concrete evidence to support these allegations.