Govt. negligence caused Simhachalam tragedy: YSRCP

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has blamed the coalition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for crowd mismanagement at the Simhachalam Temple that led to the death of seven devotees. The party called it an act of gross negligence and disregard for Hindu sentiments. 

YSRCP leader and former Minister Vellampalli Srinivas accused the government of treating Hindus as a vote bank while failing to ensure safety at sacred sites. “Devotee deaths have become routine under this regime,” he said while citing past incidents including temple demolitions during Krishna Pushkaram, stampede at Godavari Pushkaram, the one at Tirupati, and the recent wall collapse at the Simhachalam temple, despite, Ministers Anita and Anagani Satyaprasad being present at the site.

He questioned the credibility of the inquiry committees, pointing to the unsolved probe into the Tirupati stampede. “Punish the guilty, or committees are futile,” he said.

Mr. Srinivas also highlighted the lack of basic amenities like toilets, as reported by women devotees. He said: “The government’s focus is on distributing passes among MLAs rather than overseeing critical arrangements.”

The YSRCP leader demanded that Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan address the ongoing issues, including liquor sales in Tirumala and animal deaths in Srikurmam.