3 killed, several injured in another stampede at TDP event

Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Vidadala Rajini blamed Naidu and local TDP leaders of Guntur for the Sunday stampede. “To show that a large number of people are attending their public meetings, Naidu and TDP leaders are holding public meetings in narrow lanes and streets… leading to stampede… Chandrababu Naidu is responsible for the fatalities,’’ she said. Rajini claimed that the stampede occurred because the local TDP leaders promised to distribute essentials like cooking oil and rice, and there was a surge in the crowd.

A woman who was hospitalised after the Sunday stampede told PTI that they were given a token-like slip earlier in the day and they went to the venue of TDP’s meeting to collect gifts. Suddenly there was lot of rush and in the melee, people fell on the ground leading to deaths, she said.

However, TDP leader N Nara Lokesh said if the YSRCP government’s claim of implementing many welfare schemes for the poor was true, why was there a stampede to grab food packets?

On December 28, eight persons, including two women, succumbed to injuries after they fell into a drain as hundreds of people rushed to greet Naidu at a public meeting.

Naidu had alleged that the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government was not ensuring proper security and safety measures at his public meetings.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had accused Naidu of not informing the local police about their plans, and holding meetings in narrow lanes to make it look well-attended events. Reddy targeted Naidu and Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan, stating that politics isn’t show business or posing for drone photographs but involves keeping promises and working on welfare schemes.

Speaking at various programmes over the weekend at Anakapalli and Narsipatnam, the YSRCP chief accused Naidu of betraying all sections of people and alleged that his “craze for publicity” cost human lives, referring to the Nellore stampede.

“TDP did no good to the people but cheated all sections of society including employees, SCs, BCs, students, unemployed and DWACRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) groups. Politics is sticking to assurances given in the election manifestos…balanced regional growth with innovative schemes and not cinema shooting, acting, drama and other theatrics,” Reddy had said.