The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Absence of crowd control measures causes chaos

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Thursday, Nov 06, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Absence of crowd control measures causes chaos

Special Correspondent

Crowd surge causes many to return before meet begins
Traffic jam on the highway near the venue

NTR PRANGANAM (GUNTUR): Complete chaos prevailed at the Yuva Garjana public meeting venue on Wednesday evening even as the key attractions -- Nandamuri descendants -- arrived on the dais at 4.35 p.m. Police restricted themselves to the peripheries of the Garjana site boundaries. Nara Chandrababu Naidu had to rise several times to calm down people who were climbing over the scaffolding meant for cut-outs. One of the fans fell, fracturing his hand while leaders from Guntur district were delivering their speeches.

There was hardly any crowd control and people jumped from one enclosure to the other to come as close to the dais as possible. A large area behind the main dais, left vacant as a service area, turned out to be the space for people to gain access to the cultural dais and main dais from all possible sides. Many people, disappointed at not able to get a closer look of their leaders, began their journey back from the venue even as Mr. Naidu and Balakrishna settled on the stage.

Volunteers at the venue failed to control the crowds and Acharya Nagarjuna University main gate was also a hotspot for people trying to gain access to the helipad and guest house where the Polit Bureau meeting too place.

Police controlled the traffic on the National Highway No.5 and left two lanes for the through traffic and two lanes were occupied by vehicles coming from long distances, but one kilometre on either side of the venue, vehicles found it difficult to navigate either on the highway or into the venue.

Cine actor Ayesha’s mother made a scathing attack on the Congress Government for its failure to nab the culprits. The girl who was allegedly raped and murdered, did not get justice, she alleged.

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Andhra Pradesh