Thu Jan 09 15:06:01 UTC 2025: ## Tirupati Stampede Sparks Outrage, Demands for Accountability
**TIRUPATI, January 9, 2025** – A candlelight vigil was held in Tirupati on Thursday to remember the devotees who perished in a stampede during the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan event. The tragedy has sparked widespread condemnation and demands for accountability from various political parties and civil society organizations.
Members of the Tirupati Poura Sanghala Samakhya, a coalition of civil society groups, led the protest, demanding ₹1 crore compensation and government jobs for the families of the victims. CPM leader Kandharapu Murali described the stampede as an “indelible blot” on the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), blaming the incident on the “VIP culture” at Tirumala. The rally was also attended by leaders from the RPI, CPI, Congress, and AIDWA.
Opposition parties sharply criticized both the state government and the TTD for their alleged negligence in managing the large crowds. CPI secretary K. Narayana condemned the lack of coordination between TTD officials and the local police. Similarly, former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy highlighted a failure in implementing crowd control measures despite ten days of prior review.
Former Minister R.K. Roja called the stampede a failure of the state government and demanded criminal charges against those responsible, questioning the absence of Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, known for his pronouncements on “Sanatana Dharma,” during the crisis. BJP leader P. Naveen Kumar Reddy criticized the TTD’s failure to accurately estimate the number of devotees, and urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to launch a suo motu investigation. The incident marks the first major stampede of its kind in Tirupati’s history.
First Piper 