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Tirupati
A special investigation team led by the CBI has arrested four people in connection with the alleged adulteration of the famous Tirupati laddus offered as prasad to devotees at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, officials said. Those arrested have been identified as Vipin Jain, Pomil Jain, Apoorva Chawda and Raju Rajasekharan, they said. On the orders of the Supreme Court, the CBI set up a five-member SIT in November last year to investigate the allegations of the use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus. The team comprised two officers from the central agency, two from Andhra Pradesh Police and one from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), they said. In its October 4 order, the apex court, after hearing the petitions by BJP leader Subramaniya Swamy and YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy, among others, said the probe into the allegation of using animal fat in making the laddu would be conducted by the SIT and will be supervised by the CBI director. Andhra Prade
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said he would order a judicial inquiry into the stampede incident that left six people dead and dozens injured, besides transferring three senior officials including the district Superintendent of Police. Addressing a press conference, Naidu said he has ordered suspension of two officials, including a DSP, for their dereliction. He further said he noticed some loopholes or leakages in the administration and monitoring mechanisms in Tirupati which should have been 'perfect'. Expressing grief over the incident, Naidu said he is announcing Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those injured. According to him, a new system of issuing tokens was introduced by the previous regime in Tirupati as opposed to the earlier system of giving them in Tirumala hills. Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds
Senior YSRCP leader and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman B Karunakar Reddy on Thursday demanded that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu should own moral responsibility for the Tirupati stampede and initiate stringent action against the officials responsible. The Congress' state unit held the TTD that governs the Lord Venkatswara temple, responsible for the tragedy and called for immediate probe into the incident. Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in a stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills. Scores of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10. "The EO (executive officer), SP (superintendent of police) and his subordinates, besides the vigilance wing of the TTD, should be held responsible and action should be taken against them
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will leave for Tirupati on Thursday to visit those injured in a stampede, sources said. Six devotees died and over 40 were injured in the stampede on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills. Naidu will be visiting SVR Ruia Government General Hospital and SVIMS Hospital between noon and 3 pm, where the injured are being treated, sources said. The CM will also conduct a review meeting with the Executive Officer and others over the incident. Tirupati district collector S Venkateswar on Wednesday told reporters that out of the six deceased devotees, five were women and a man. One deceased person came from Salem in Tamil Nadu and another from Narsipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, he said. According to the collector, the incident occurred at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in the temple town. Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country
Devotees visiting Lord Venkateswara temple on Tirumala hills are complementing that the quality of laddu prasadam (consecrated sweet) has improved and it should continue that way, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Saturday. Naidu, who held a review meeting with senior officials of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of Venkateswara Swamy temple, also asked them to make sure only the best quality ingredients go into making prasadams (sacred offerings ), an official release from the temple authorities said. The CM's remarks came amid recent allegations of the CM and TTD Executive Officer that adulterated ghee was used in making laddu prasadam during the previous YSR Congress regime, a charge rubbished by former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He further said VIP culture should be reduced in Tirumala and there should be no hustle and bustle when celebrities visit the temple. The decoration at the temple should be simple and spiritual with no hype and ...
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday visited Tirumala temple accompanied by his daughters. During his visit, the Deputy Chief Minister carried 'Varahi Declaration' with him to the deity, which he will proclaim in a meeting in Tirupati on Thursday. Deputy Chief Minister and Janasena president Pawan Kalyan had Tirumala Srivari (deity) darshanam (visit) today. Pawan Kalyan took Varahi Declaration file along with him, said a Janasena press release. Currently, Kalyan is on a three-day visit to the temple as part of his 11-day penance to atone for the alleged sins committed by the previous YSRCP regime at Tirumala. Before visiting the temple, Kalyan's youngest daughter, Palina Anjani Konidela, gave a declaration at Tirumala temple that she has faith in Lord Venkateswara. Palina Anjani Konidela is reportedly a non-Hindu and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) - the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati - rules mandate that non-Hindus have to
YSRCP leaders and cadres across Andhra Pradesh conducted 'forgiveness' rituals on Saturday to 'atone' for the alleged 'sin' committed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu by casting alleged aspersions on the sanctity of Tirupati laddus (consecrated sweet). Naidu alleged during a recent NDA legislative party meeting that the erstwhile YSRCP government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fats for making laddus. The allegations sparked a massive controversy across the country, hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus. Following the nationwide uproar, YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that Naidu was blatantly lying about laddus and said that the alleged sacrilege did not occur at all while the ghee samples sent for testing were drawn under the NDA regime. Consequently, Reddy called on his party cadres to undertake atonement rituals for undoing the alleged 'sin' committed by Naidu through his allegations. Senior YSRCP leader
Ahead of YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's planned visit to Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala Hills, the district police on Friday issued notice to several leaders and cadre of the party not to defy Section 30 of the Police Act which is in force. According to a senior police official, the police may also issue a notice to the former chief minister after he lands at Renigunta Airport near here later in the day, before proceeding to Tirumala, not to defy prohibitory orders. The police are forced to issue notices to the YSRCP leaders at several places in the district as messages are being spread on social media platforms asking the party cadre to gather at some locations in Tirupati in a show of solidarity with the former chief minister. "Section 30 of the Police Act which regulates public assemblies and processions is in force in the district. We have noticed several postings on social media platforms asking people to gather at certain places in Tirupati. The notices are ..