Tadepalli, Nov. 1 -- Former YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Minister Vellampalli Srinivas on Saturday lashed out at Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu after nine people were killed in a stampede at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam,

"Whether a temple is public or private, ensuring safety and crowd control is the government's responsibility. Can the state abandon devotees just because a temple isn't under its Department?" he told reporters here.

He said the temple tragedies under the coalition "echo Chandrababu's past record", reminding that "29 devotees lost their lives in the 2015 Godavari Pushkaram stampede, which was caused by Chandrababu's obsession with publicity and event-shooting," the release said.

"This gov...