Give ₹1 crore as compensation, government job for kin of deceased in Tirupati stampede: CPM leader

Members of Tirupati Poura Sanghala Samakhya, a consortium of civil society organisations, took out a candlelight rally in the city in memory of the deceased devotees involved in the stampede on Thursday. CPM district leader Kandharapu Murali, who called the stampede an ‘indelible blot’ that would remain forever on the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, demanded ₹1 crore as compensation and government job for the kin of the deceased. Republican Party of India president P. Anjaiah, CPI district leader Chinnam Penchalaiah, Congress leader Mangati Gopal Reddy, All India Democratic Women’s Association district secretary P. Sai Lakshmi participated in the rally. Government blamed Opposition parties minced no words in blaming the State government as well as the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams management for ‘laxity’ in handling the crowd gathered to get the ‘Vaikunta Dwara Darshan’ tokens in Tirupati. TTD Trust Board former Chairman and YSR Congress Party Tirupati district president Bhumana Karunakar Reddy blamed the lack of coordination between TTD’s vigilance sleuths and the district police for the incident.