YSRCP rejects Tirupati stampede report; seeks CBI probe

Tirupati, July 25: Rejecting the judicial commission report which probed the incident of stampede during Vaikunta Ekadasi, YSRCP has demanded a CBI inquiry as the report seems to be biased and predetermined one aimed at making a few lower-rung officials scapegoats.

Speaking to media here on Friday, former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said, the Report, accepted by the State Cabinet and held two persons Harinath Reddy and Ramana Kumar responsible for the stampede which claimed six lives and injured at least 29 others, and to initiate criminal proceedings.

The Report seems to be predetermined as it has let off all the main persons responsible for the incident, which includes the TTD, Revenue and police officials but has selectively picked two persons and made them scapegoats.

The entire process is a precursor to the various vigilance and other commission reports that would be given in the coming days, Karunakar Reddy said and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident as the main persons were spared and small time officials were held responsible. The inquiry seems to be an eyewash and a case study for all future inquiries.

YSRCP government has introduced extended darshan for ten days for the convenience of devotees after consulting religious heads, but that practice was done away with by the coalition government and did not make proper arrangements for the lakhs of devotees who have come for the Vaikunta Ekadasi darshan.

While maintaining law and order was the job of the police officials, on whose orders the holding points were held is not told and Harinath Reddy who was at the ticket counter was suspended while the other person Suryaprakash, who was also present at the counter was let off. So is the case with Ramana Kumar.

We reject the Judicial Commission Report, which seems to be a premeditated one and the inquiry was held selectively and demand a CBI inquiry for facts to come out and punish the guilty, he said.

The TTD staff were in the service of VVIPs and when the incident occurred through Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan made bold statements the outcome has not been satisfactory, he said.