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Amid chaos over the Srikakulam stampede incident, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Gouthu Sireesha on Saturday said that the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga opened only four months ago, and the 94-year-old devotee who constructed the temple on his land didn't expect such an influx of crowd.
Speaking to reporters, Sireesha said that around 1,000 to 1,500 devotees visited the temple due to Ekadashi, which was an unexpected turnout. "An unexpected bad incident happened. Nobody expected this, as the temple had only been open for four months. Even the people of Palasa were unaware of the temple. It was a mouth-to-mouth publicity. The temple was constructed by a 94-year-old devotee on his own land. Today, he gave a statement saying he didn't expect 1,000-1,500 people to come. But today, because of the Ekadashi, an unexpected crowd came," the Palasa MLA said. "There are twenty stairs, and the exit and entrance gates are side by side. People were in huge numbers, and the barricade fell down. Nine people died. Two are out of danger, and some 15 to 20 people have minor injuries. This shouldn't have happened. We are really sorry for the loss of the families," she added. YSR Congress Party leader and former Andhra Pradesh Minister Vellampalli Srinivas lashed out at Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu after nine people were killed in the Srikakulam stampede. "Whether a temple is public or private, ensuring safety and crowd control is the government's responsibility. Can the state abandon devotees just because a temple isn't under its Department?" he told reporters here. He said the temple tragedies under the coalition "echo Chandrababu's past record", reminding that "29 devotees lost their lives in the 2015 Godavari Pushkaram stampede, which was caused by Chandrababu's obsession with publicity and event-shooting," the release said. "This government has no devotion to God, no concern for devotees, only an appetite for publicity," he remarked. "Is intelligence being used only to target YSRCP leaders instead of protecting the public?" he asked. He alleged that the state government's negligence caused the deaths. "Devotees go to temples seeking blessings, not death. These are state-sponsored deaths caused by negligence. If people cannot return safely after darshan, what kind of governance is this?" he asserted. The incident occurred as a large crowd gathered at the temple on the occasion of Ekadashi. The heavy rush of devotees led to overcrowding, resulting in a sudden stampede. The injured were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. The entire area is in deep sorrow following the tragedy. (ANI)
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