YS Jagan Tears Into TDP Over Simhachalam Deaths: 'No Accountability, No Remorse'

YSRCP President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy arrived in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday (April 30) to console the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic wall collapse at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam during the annual Chandanotsavam festival.

At least seven people were killed in the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday. Among the deceased were four members of the same family.

Expressing his grief, Jagan prayed for the victims to rest in peace and extended his condolences to their families.

Recalling the Vaikuntha Ekadasi stampede in Tirupati that claimed six lives earlier this year, Jagan questioned whether the TDP government is unaware that such major religious events draw massive crowds.

“Police personnel were diverted to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Kuppam visit. As a result, adequate security arrangements were not made at the ticket counter, despite the large influx of devotees. Gates were opened without warning, resulting in the stampede which claimed six lives and injured several others,” Jagan alleged.

On the Simhachalam tragedy, Jagan blamed the TDP government's negligence in ensuring devotee safety. He pointed out that the collapsed wall was constructed just days before the event, raising concerns about the quality and timing of the work.
“How can a 70-foot wall be built in just six days, without even inviting tenders?” he asked.

“It’s been a year since Chandrababu Naidu returned to power. Don’t they know when Chandanotsavam is celebrated? Why wasn’t the wall built well in advance?”

Jagan further questioned the materials used in the construction, alleging that fly ash bricks were used instead of reinforced concrete.

“Why were devotees allowed to stand next to a wall built so hastily and with such fragile material?” he asked. “These are all signs of gross negligence. There’s no other explanation for what happened in Simhachalam.”

Jagan also slammed Naidu for politicizing religious issues, recalling how he once alleged that animal fat was used in the Tirumala Laddu.
“But he ignored the deaths of cows at the TTD-run Goshala and the death of rare star tortoises, considered an avatar of Lord Vishnu, at Srikurmam temple,” Jagan said.

Criticizing the TDP government for merely setting up committees in the aftermath of such tragedies, Jagan noted that no meaningful action follows these inquiries.
“The Tirupati SP was simply transferred and given a better post. What’s the point of forming committees if no one is held accountable?” he asked.

He called for stricter accountability, stating, “Officers should fear consequences. If such incidents happen, they should face disciplinary action — they should be removed from their posts, their uniforms stripped. But under the TDP government, officers have no fear.”

Jagan also mocked the TDP ministers’ ignorance, saying, “They initially questioned under whose regime the wall was built. They didn’t even know it was constructed just six days ago.”

He pointed out that it has rained during Chandanotsavam in Simhachalam for the past 10 years, yet the government failed to take precautions. “There’s not even a trace of remorse for what has happened,” he added.

Referring to the YSRCP government’s decision to provide ₹1 crore ex gratia to families of victims in the LG Polymers gas leak, Jagan criticized Chandrababu Naidu for announcing just ₹25 lakh in the current tragedy — only after learning that Jagan was visiting Vizag.

Jagan demanded that the government provide ₹1 crore in compensation to each victim’s family. “If this government fails to do so, I promise to pay the remaining amount once we return to power,” he asserted.