The Centre has withdrawn its decision to conduct a field investigation into the recent incidents in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirumala after facing widespread opposition. These incidents include the stampede-like situation in Tirupati on January 8 and the fire accident at the Tirumala laddu counter on January 13.
Initially, the Home Ministry had appointed Additional Secretary Sanjeev Kumar Jindal to conduct an on-site investigation. Jindal was scheduled to visit Tirumala today and tomorrow.
However, reports about the Centre’s intervention being unprecedented in TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) matters went viral on social media, sparking widespread opposition.
In response to the backlash, the Centre decided to cancel Jindal’s visit. The Ministry of Home Affairs informed the TTD Executive Officer about the cancellation of Jindal’s tour.
On January 8, six people died and several others were injured after a stampede broke out near the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan ticketing centers in Tirupati. The stampede occurred amidst a crowd of over 4,000 devotees who had gathered to obtain tokens for the 10-day special darshan.
Another incident involved a fire at the Tirumala laddu counter, which caused panic among devotees collecting the sacred prasadam. The fire, which broke out at Counter No. 47, was believed to have been caused by a short circuit in the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system connected to the computer setup.