PANJIM, May 25 -- Team Herald

The Mahajans of Shree Lairai Temple in Shirgao, in a special meeting held on Sunday, denied any responsibility for the recent stampede that claimed six lives and left many injured. Instead, they shifted the blame to the administration, rejecting the findings of the government-appointed fact-finding committee.

The meeting was convened specifically to discuss the committee's report, which had held the temple committee accountable for serious lapses in planning and crowd control. However, the temple representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the conclusions drawn, asserting that they were being unfairly targeted.

Speaking to reporters, Devidas Gaonkar, President of the Shree Lairai Temple Committee, said,...