Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, January 8 condoled the loss of lives in the stampedes during the sale of Tirumala temple darshan tickets in Tirupati.
The Prime Minister’s Office stated, "Pained by the stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon. The AP Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected."
Six devotees including five women were killed and 29 others were injured in stampedes at three places during the sale of Tirumala temple darshan tickets in Tirupati on Wednesday night. The incident occurred at three places where Vaikunta Dwara Darshan tickets were to be issued from Thursday morning.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also expressed his condolences for those who lost their lives in the tragic stampede. He urged Congress leaders and workers to provide all possible assistance during this difficult time.
In a social media post on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "The tragic stampede in Tirupati is deeply saddening. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Wishing a swift recovery to all those injured. I urge Congress leaders and workers to provide all possible assistance during this difficult time."
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal also expressed his grief and prayed for the peace of the departed souls in the incident.
"This accident that happened in Tirupati temple is very sad. May God give place to the departed souls in his lotus feet. I pray to God that the devotees who have been injured get well soon and return to their homes," Kejriwal posted on X.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay requested the Andhra Pradesh government to provide all possible and best medical care to the injured and prayed for their speedy recovery.
Taking to social media X, Bandi Sanjay wrote, "Deeply saddened by the tragic stampede in Tirumala resulting in the loss of devotees' lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Requesting the Andhra Pradesh government to ensure the injured receive the best medical care and praying for their speedy recovery."
Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
"Deeply saddened by the tragic stampede in Tirupati. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May the departed souls find peace. Praying for strength to those affected in this difficult time," Kinjarapu posted on X.
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expressed shock and deep distress over the tragic stampede that occurred near Vishnu Nivasam in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati, which resulted in the loss of six lives.
Kalyan suggested that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) authorities make immediate arrangements to provide appropriate information and assistance to the families of the victims of the incident.
The Deputy CM further directed the TTD governing council to take responsibility for supporting the families of the deceased and to provide them with moral assistance.
A statement from his office, said, "I am deeply distressed to know that six people died in the stampede that took place at the centres set up for Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan tickets in Tirupati. It is unfortunate that devotees who came for the darshan of the Lord met with a tragic death. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. I suggest the Medical and Health Department provide better medical services to the injured."
"It has been learned that some of the deceased and injured have come from other areas. I suggest the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam authorities make appropriate arrangements immediately to provide appropriate information and assistance to their families. Similarly, the TTD Governing Council should take the responsibility of visiting the families of the deceased and providing them with moral support," the statement added.
Kalyan also urged the Jana Sena leaders and Jana Sainiks to provide assistance to the officials and police personnel in managing the queues at the ticket counters in Tirupati city.
The statement reads, "In the wake of this incident, I appeal to the Jana Sena leaders and Jana Sainiks to provide assistance to the officials and police personnel in managing the queues at the ticket counters in Tirupati city."
Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh expressed deep sorrow over the tragic stampede that claimed the lives of several pilgrims in Tirupati and assured that the state government would stand by the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.
In a press note released immediately after the incident, Lokesh said that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) must make more vigorous arrangements to avoid the recurrence of any such untoward incidents.
The press statement said, "The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) should make more vigorous arrangements to see to it that such untoward incidents do not recur. The State government will certainly stand by the family members of those pilgrims who lost their lives in the incident."
"I am deeply distressed at the demise of devotees in a stampede that took place in Tirupati against the backdrop of the release of tickets for Vikunta Dwara Darshanam," said the Minister for IT, Electronics and Education.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) has expressed deep grief over the tragic stampede at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, which claimed six lives on Wednesday.
"Saddened by the loss of lives in the stampede at Tirupati. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. My thoughts and prayers are with those families who have lost their loved ones in this tragic mishap," KTR posted on X.
Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLC K Kavitha also expressed her shock and offered condolences over the demise of the six individuals in the Tirupati stampede incident. She prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured individuals.
In a social media post on X, K Kavitha wrote, "Deeply saddened by the tragic stampede at Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, and I pray for the speedy and healthy recovery of those injured. The stampede incident at Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati is shocking. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray to Lord Venkateswara Swamy, the God of Kali Yuga, for the speedy recovery of the injured."
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed his deep shock over the death of devotees in the stampede that took place near Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati for 'darshan' tokens at Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement.
As per the statement from the office of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is closely monitoring the incident and will meet the families of the victims of the stampede on Thursday morning.
The statement said, "It is an unfortunate event, six pilgrims lost their lives. So far, only one pilgrim has been identified, while the others are yet to be identified. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is very serious about the incident and has expressed dissatisfaction with the officials' management during a teleconference. The Chief Minister will visit the families of the deceased tomorrow at 11:45 a.m. CM has warned that such incidents should not be repeated and is closely monitoring updates on the issue."
Vaikunta Dwara Darshan is scheduled to be held at the Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Temple from January 10 to 19. It allows devotees to pass through the sacred gate to receive Lord Venkateswara's blessings.
The TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) announced that offline tokens for darshan would be issued starting January 9, with nine token distribution centres set up in Tirupati.
Since Wednesday morning, devotees from several parts of the country began arriving in large numbers to collect tokens. However, by the end of the day, a heavy crowd was observed at all the centres, leading to congestion in those areas.