YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has called for immediate accountability and compensation for the victims of the stampede during the Vaikuntha Ekadashi ticket distribution in Tirupati, which claimed six lives and left over 50 devotees injured.

Expressing deep concern over the incident, Jagan blamed the Chandrababu Naidu-led government, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administration, and district officials for their negligence and poor crowd management.

Jagan pointed out that such a tragic incident had never occurred in Tirumala’s history, despite large crowds gathering every year for the event. He criticised the TTD and the state government for failing to make proper arrangements despite anticipating the high turnout.

“The crowd for Vaikuntha Ekadashi is expected every year. Why were there no proper arrangements at ticket counters? Why was security not deployed? This incident could have been avoided if the administration and police had acted systematically,” Jagan said.

He also highlighted that Naidu, who was in Kuppam during the days leading up to the stampede, had diverted police resources for personal events, leaving no backup plans in place for managing the crowd in Tirupati.

Devotees, who had been waiting in long lines at Padmavati Park and Bhairagipatnam counters from 9 am, faced delays as the counters only opened at 8 pm. This, combined with the lack of basic facilities such as food and water, contributed to the chaos.

Reddy demanded that several key officials take responsibility for the incident, including the Chief Minister, TTD Chairman, Executive Officer (EO), Additional EO, District Collector, and Superintendent of Police (SP). He also called for an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh for those injured in the stampede.

He also urged for immediate reforms in crowd management during major events like Vaikuntha Ekadashi to prevent future tragedies. He noted that during the previous government, such events had been managed efficiently without incidents, and termed the recent stampede as a clear sign of negligence by the current administration.

The former Chief Minister demanded a thorough investigation into the incident and strict action against those responsible. “The sanctity of Tirumala and the safety of devotees should never be compromised,” he said.