GUNTUR: A day after three women lost their lives in a stampede at a public event by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in Guntur, the organiser of the event was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder on Monday. Guntur police reportedly took Vuyyuru Srinivas, Managing Director of Vuyyuru Foundation, into custody for questioning.
Norms violated
The cops pointed out that several norms were flouted at the TDP event on Sunday. Guntur police said it had issued a conditional permit for the meeting after the TDP’s Guntur parliament constituency president Tenali Sravan Kumar applied for the event.
Though police gave permission for 10,000 people only, the organisers mobilised nearly 30,000 beneficiaries for the event. While dismissing TDP’s claim that the event wasn’t organised by it, police said that permission for using loudspeakers was sought by Sravan Kumar.
In the permission given for using loudspeakers, the police had clearly mentioned that the organisers should take all necessary precautions, or else they would be held responsible for lapses. Moreover, Guntur SP Arif Hafeez dismissed claims of TDP that the State government and police department were responsible for the tragedy.
NGO announces Rs 20L aid to victims’ kin
Arif Hafeez said about 200 police personnel were deployed for security. As soon as the incident happened, the police rushed to the counters and saved several women and shifted them to a hospital.
According to police, Vuyyuru Foundation, a non-profit organistation, organised the distribution of NTR Janata clothes and Chandranna Sankranti Kanuka to over 30,000 women with Naidu as the chief guest.
Soon after Naidu left the premises, the organisers asked the women to return home without giving the kits. Following this, the women beneficiaries, who had been waiting in queue for over five hours, got restless and rushed to the counters leading to a stampede.
While three women—G Ramadevi, Sayyad Asiya, and Shaik Bibi—died in the stampede, 17 others reportedly sustained injuries. Of those hurt, four women are still in critical condition.
A case has been registered against the event organisers on the basis of a complaint lodged by victim Ramadevi’s son Nagaraju. Later, the police, who found Srinivas in Vijayawada, took him into custody and shifted him to Guntur for a probe. Meanwhile, the NGO announced Rs 20 lakh ex-gratia each for the families of the three victims.
Political faceoff
Even as cops accused TDP of lapses, a political blame game continued for the second consecutive day. TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh accused the YSRC government for the deaths. “The deaths at Kandukur and Guntur meetings are not due to stampede. They are a result of the YSRC government’s carnage,’’ Lokesh tweeted. He further alleged that the victims didn’t die in the stampede but were killed by YSRC leaders.
Hitting back at the TDP, YSRC general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna blamed the organisers and TDP for the incidents. “The road where the stampede took place was narrowed down further by erecting flexies. Also, the delay in the arrival of Naidu to the venue had led to the incident,’’ Sajjala remarked.
Training guns at Naidu, Sajjala alleged that he wanted to gain political mileage through the event.
State women’s body chief meets victims’ families
Meanwhile, State Mahila Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma, Housing Minister Jogi Ramesh, and YSRC leaders visited the victims’ families at Guntur GGH and consoled them. Speaking on the occasion, Padma slammed Chandrababu Naidu for trying to gain political mileage and publicity at the cost of the lives of people.
She also lamented that Naidu didn’t have any remorse over such tragic incidents and didn’t even visit the hospitals to console the bereaved families.
“After miserably failing to get public attention, Naidu has become desperate and has stooped low by luring poor women with gifts,’’ she added.
She also demanded Vuyyuru Trust and TDP to take full responsibility for the incident and give an explanation to the people of the State. She also instructed the district SP to give a full report on the incident.