The Nellore Police has registered an FIR in the case of Kandukur stampede, which occurred during the road show of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, leading to eight deaths including two women. The TDP has blamed inadequate police arrangement for the crowd control.
The case was registered at Kandukur Police Station in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. Police are investigating the cause of the stampede and fix the responsible for it.
“Curtains, barricades, ropes and 2000 policemen were deployed for Jagan Reddy’s meeting where even a thousand people did not turn up despite threats. Only 150 policemen were deployed for Chandrababu’s meeting where 50,000 people turned up voluntarily. Is this evidence enough who is responsible for the Kandukur accident?” alleged the TDP handle on Twitter.
Naidu himself pointed out: “Whichever leader comes to a place it is the duty of the local police to oversee the law and order. I am not blaming anyone but the Kandukur police should have taken the necessary precautionary measures.” He further said that it is now the duty of the people who come for the meetings to take necessary safety measures even if the local police do not cooperate.
Naidu was taking part in a roadshow at a cross road when there was a surge in the crowd to reach his vehicle leading to the stampede. Some people fell in the canal in the melee. A public meeting was also slated for the evening but the TDP chief cancelled it and rushed to the local hospital.
He announced Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of the deceased TDP workers. TDP will give a total of Rs 24 lakh to the families of those who died in yesterday’s mishap. Naidu promised to take care of the studies of the children when he visited the residences of those who died.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the PMNRF. “Pained by the mishap at a public meeting in Nellore, AP. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. An ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and injured would be given Rs 50,000,” said a tweet by the PMO’s Twitter handle.
Expressing shock, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Reddy, who is away in New Delhi, instructed officials to offer necessary support to the victim’s family.
YSRCP blamed N Chandrababu Naidu for the deaths of eight people alleging that he held the roadshow in a narrow lane deliberately to show it was packed with people and capture the photographs using a drone. YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy claimed that the TDP president was on a self promotion mission and did not listen to the instructions of the police. He reminded that this same urge for self promotion led to the deaths of 27 pilgrims in Godavari Pushkuralu n 2015 when Naidu was the chief minister