At least nine devotees, most of them women and children, lost their lives in a tragic stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, on the occasion of Ekadashi. The incident occurred when an overwhelming crowd gathered for the auspicious day’s rituals, leading to chaos and panic.

Videos from the temple premises revealed distressing visuals of overcrowded stairways where devotees, particularly women holding puja baskets, were seen jostling in a desperate attempt to escape the crush. Several bodies were later found inside the temple complex as authorities rushed to the site.

Police officials reached the spot promptly and managed to bring the situation under control.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep anguish over the tragedy, describing the loss of devotees as “extremely heartbreaking.” He said, “The stampede incident at the Venkateswara Temple in Kasibugga has caused a shock. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and have directed officials to ensure prompt medical attention for the injured.”

Naidu further instructed local authorities and public representatives to visit the site and oversee relief operations personally.

Nara Lokesh, minister in Naidu’s cabinet, also expressed sorrow and said he was in “profound shock.” He added, “A deep sorrow has gripped us on this Ekadashi day. I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. The government is ensuring proper medical treatment for the injured.” Lokesh confirmed that he had spoken with local officials and the MLA to ensure assistance reaches affected families without delay.

Authorities are expected to carry out a detailed probe into the cause of the overcrowding and assess safety measures at the temple to prevent such tragedies in the future.

A day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi is a “Pakistani agent, planted by foreign power”, the opposition leader hit back on Saturday, claiming that such comments show that Sarma is “unfit” to hold his position as head of the government.

Gogoi criticised the timing of the allegations on the day when the state’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg’s last movie was released on Friday.

Sarma had been alleging Pakistani links of Gogoi through his British wife, with the chief minister reiterating the charges on Friday, and claiming that the Congress leader is a “Pakistani agent”, planted by “foreign power”, and that he had evidence to prove it.

Reacting to the charges, Gogoi said in a post on X, “Over the past few months, Himanta Biswa Sarma dangoriya has lost credibility.”

“Yesterday, when the entire state was watching Zubeen Garg perform for the last time in ‘Roi Roi Binale’, the chief minister’s comments showed his growing fear of losing power,” he said.

“It was another example of why he is unfit as the chief minister of the people of Assam,” Gogoi, who is the Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha, claimed.

Garg had died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19, leading to a massive outpouring of public grief and the government constituting a Special Investigating Team of the state police’s CID to probe the circumstances of the singer-composer-actor’s death.

His last movie, ‘Roi Roi Binale’ (Tears still flow), opened to packed houses on Friday in the state as well as in multiple cities of the country.

—PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said Sardar Patel wanted to unite the entire Kashmir, just as he did with other princely states, into India, but then PM Nehru did not allow it to happen.

“Sardar Patel believed that one should not waste time writing history but we should work hard to create history,” Modi said, addressing the gathering after the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade near the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar.

“Sardar Patel wanted to unite the entire Kashmir, just as he did with other princely states. But Nehru ji stopped his wish from being fulfilled. Kashmir was divided, given a separate Constitution and a separate flag – and the nation suffered for decades because of Congress’ mistake,” Modi said.

The policies that Sardar Patel formulated, the decisions he took, created new history, the PM said.

“After Independence, the impossible task of uniting more than 550 princely states was made possible by Sardar Patel. The idea of One India, Excellent India, was paramount for him,” Modi said.

“Sardar Patel once remarked that his greatest joy came from serving the nation. I want to convey to the people of our country that there is no greater source of happiness than dedicating oneself to the service of the nation,” he said.

“The country has decided to have a decisive fight against infiltrators. On Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, we should pledge to remove each and every infiltrator from the country,” Modi said.

“Today, the unity and internal security of our nation face serious threat from infiltrators. For decades, infiltrators have been entering our country and disrupting its demographic balance,” Modi said.

Highlighting the work against Naxal terror, Modi said his government will not stop till Naxalism and Maoism is rooted out of the country.

Slamming the Congress, Modi said that party inherited “slave mentality” from the British who ruled India. The country is removing every trace of colonial mindset, he added.

“Every thought or action that weakens the unity of our nation must be shunned by every citizen. This is the need of the hour for our country,” the prime minister said.

Before his speech, Modi reviewed the National Unity Day parade in which contingents from police and paramilitary forces took part.

Women officers commanded all the contingents, including paramilitary forces like BSF, CISF, ITBP, CRPF and SSB, and police contingents from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

A contingent of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) also participated in the parade.

The parade featured 16 BSF personnel who were awarded gallantry medals for their participation in Operation Sindoor.

The parade showcased a marching contingent of Indian breed dogs from the BSF, including the celebrated Mudhol hound Riya which recently won the All-India Police Dog Competition.

Rampur hounds and Mudhol hounds demonstrated their skills at the event, which included a spectacular air show by the Surya Kiran team of the Indian Air Force.

The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team was formed in 1996 and is among the very few nine-aircraft aerobatics teams in the world, and the only one of its kind in Asia.

The parade also featured a motorcycle daredevil show by Assam Police, and a camel mounted contingent and band by the BSF.

Ten tableaux from various states and union territories, including the NSG and NDRF, reinforce the theme of unity in diversity.

—PTI