Botcha seeks probe with a sitting judge

Visakhapatnam: YSRCP MLC Botcha Satyanarayana appealed to the High Court to launch a detailed probe with a sitting judge into the stampede incident in Tirupati.

Addressing the media here on Friday, the MLC underlined the need for the intervention of the High Court Chief Justice and take up the stampede case suo motu. “The court interference is essential so that such stampedes will not be repeated,” Satyanarayana said.

Even as Chief MinisterN Chandrababu Naidu was in Kuppam till recently, the MLC questioned why the Chief Minister did not pay attention to reviewing the arrangements. “Although a DSP was suspended in the case, why was there no action taken against the rest of the officials even as stampedes occurred in other places,” the MLC wondered.

Further, the former minister expressed concern over the attitude of the police who stopped the convoy of YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy during his visit to Tirupati to meet the stampede victims. The police have to remember that Jagan still has 40 per cent of vote share, he stressed, adding that following the stampede incident, a sense of fear is prevailing among people and it resulted in reduced crowds in temples on Vaikunta Ekadasi.

Recalling that Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan apologised for the stampede incident, Satyanarayana asked whether the Deputy CM would consider any ‘deeksha’ for the same. “The government’s failure reflects clearly in the incident as it never occurred in the history of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams,” Satyanarayana said.

Former IT minister Gudivada Amarnath and former MLA Karanam Dharmasri were also present.