YSRC Rejects Judicial Report On Tirupati Stampede, Seeks CBI Probe
"Despite lakhs of devotees arriving for Vaikunta Ekadasi, adequate arrangements were not made": YSRC leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy
TIRUPATI: The YSRC has rejected the judicial commission report on the stampede, which occurred during the distribution of Vaikunta Dwara Darshan in Tirupati on January 8, terming it biased and incomplete. The party has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, alleging that the report conveniently targeted lower-level officials while sparing key decision-makers.
Addressing the media on Friday, former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman and senior YSRC leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy criticised the report, which was recently accepted by the State Cabinet. The report held former SV Dairy Farm director Harinath Reddy and then DSP A.V. Ramana Kumar responsible for the stampede that claimed six lives and left at least 29 devotees injured. It also recommended criminal proceedings against them.
Karunakar Reddy alleged that the findings appeared predetermined and failed to hold accountable senior officials from the TTD, Revenue, and Police departments. "The main persons responsible have been let off, and only a few have been made scapegoats," he said, calling the report an eyewash and a model for selective accountability.
He claimed the mishandling of arrangements by the current coalition government led to the tragedy, as the extended darshan system introduced earlier by the YSRC government was discontinued without proper alternative planning. "Despite lakhs of devotees arriving for Vaikunta Ekadasi, adequate arrangements were not made," he alleged.
Karunakar Reddy also questioned the rationale behind suspending Harinath Reddy, who was posted at the ticket counter, while another official at the same location was spared. He raised similar concerns over the treatment of Ramana Kumar in the report. "We reject the judicial commission report, which was selective and premeditated. We demand a CBI inquiry so that the full truth can come out and those truly responsible are brought to justice," he said.
Bhumana further remarked that while senior TTD top officials were engaged in VIP protocols during the incident, political leaders like N. Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan made strong public statements, but the outcome has not addressed the core issues.
