YSRCP rejects commission report on Tirupati stampede, demands CBI inquiry

AMARAVATHI(Andhra Pradesh): The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) rejected the judicial commission report on the Tirupati stampede incident, calling it “biased and predetermined”, and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Tirupati stampede incident that claimed six lives.

“The state government had appointed a one-man Judicial Commission headed by retired Justice Satya Narayana Murthy to investigate the Tirupati stampede incident that occurred during Vaikunta Ekadasi. The Commission has submitted its report, and the cabinet has approved it,” YSRCP legal cell president Manohar Reddy said in a statement.

“We strongly oppose and reject this Judicial Commission report. It appears biased and predetermined, seemingly aimed at shielding the senior officials while making a few lower-level officers and staff scapegoats,” he added.

The YSRCP leader said that the report has “left out” important Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials and police officers while blaming a few individuals for the stampede.

“The report, which was accepted by the state cabinet, has deliberately left out key TTD officials, top police officers, and senior revenue officials, instead placing the blame on a few individuals. This inquiry appears to be a mere eyewash and sets a dangerous precedent,” Reddy added.

Demanding a CBI inquiry, the YSRCP leader said that “selective targeting” would not deliver justice.

“The coalition government has scrapped the extended darshan system introduced by the previous YSRCP government and failed to make proper arrangements for the devotees. We demand a CBI inquiry so that the truth comes out and real accountability is established. Selective targeting will not deliver justice to the six lives lost and the 29 devotees who were injured,” Reddy said.

He further accused the N Chandrababu Naidu government of “negligence.”

“This tragic incident is a direct result of the negligence of the present government. On the day before the incident, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was on a tour in the area, during which a large number of police officers and security personnel were deployed for his protection, neglecting the safety of thousands of devotees,” Reddy added while reiterating the demand for a CBI inquiry so that “justice is served.” (ANI)