VVIPs play spoilsports at Godavari Pushkarams, pilgrims kept waiting?

A couple of hours after Godavari Pushkaralu began on Tuesday morning, at least 25 pilgrims were killed and several others injured following a stampede at the Pushkar Ghat in Kotagummam area of Rajahmundry. Unfortunately, the much-awaited event got off to a tragic note after the stampede. The injured were rushed to Rajahmundry government hospital where the condition of few pilgrims is said to be critical.

Chaos prevailed at the Pushkar Ghat as a large number of devotees jostled each other to reach the ghats. Preliminary information reveal that thousands of pilgrims waited in long queues thanks to the presence of the VVIPS. The 12-day festival began with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu among those who bathed in the Holy river this morning.

The public was stopped from bathing for about two hours when the chief minister took a dip, a report said. Chief Minister, cabinet ministers, and several bureaucrats took more than two hours to perform rituals and take holy dips. This made the pilgrims wait in queues for hours. Soon after the CM and other ministers left the ghat, the pilgrims pushed each other to reach the ghat. At one stage, the police had to use mild force to control the situation.

Some NDRF officials said that some aged women lost their footing and fell down triggering the stampede. AP CM Chandrababu expressed deep grief and heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives. He has been monitoring the situation and directed to deploy more security personnel to control the crowd.

Rudraraju Lakshmi (65) from Bhimavaram and Mangamma (60) from Pendurthy died on the spot. Others details are yet to be ascertained by the authorities. Among the deceased, 11 were identified to be women and two said to be men. The family members of the victims criticized the government for poor security arrangements and ambulances were not put near the ghats.

By G Anjali