Vedic Scholars Slam Justice Somayajulu Report On Pushkarams Tragedy

East Godavari district: Reacting to Justice Somayujulu's report on the Godavari Pushkarams tragedy in which 29 lives were lost in 2015, Vedic pandits and scholars slammed the retired judge for blaming the media for the stampede. Madhurapala Sankara Sarma said that it was unfortunate that scholars of the Hindu calendar (panchangam) were being needlessly blamed.

The learned scholar said that the state government was squarely to be blamed for the tragic turn of events. He added that evil takes root where tradition is glossed over. Sarma said that Justice Somayajulu should withdraw his remarks criticising scholars and pandits.

Sarma observed that those who fixed the auspicious hour or muhurtam were not scholars, he questioned why pandits were now being blamed? He wondered what the media should publicise if not matters of faith and devotion.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Rajahmundry, Akula Satyanarayana criticised the commission's report saying that it appeared to be lacking in transparency. He said that it was wrong to attribute the tragedy to beliefs of pilgrims. The Rajahmundry legislator said that police and government were directly responsible for the Pushkarams tragedy.

Satyanarayana further said that pilgrims should have been forewarned about chief minister Chandrababu Naidu's visit to the Pushkaram Ghat. Instead, the officials made people who gathered outside wait in large numbers.