Stampede deaths a defining image of a callous govt: HDK holds DKS responsible
New Delhi, June 5 (UNI) Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is also the president of the Karnataka State Janata Dal (Secular), has hit out at the Congress-led administration over the stampede deaths at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, describing the tragedy as the 'defining image of a callous and self-obsessed government.'
Kumaraswamy held Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar personally responsible for the tragedy that claimed 11 lives during RCB's homecoming parade, accusing him of poor judgement, and a dangerous obsession with personal glorification.
The Union Minister demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah immediately dismiss his deputy from the cabinet.
Addressing the media late Wednesday night from his official residence in New Delhi, Kumaraswamy denounced the state's top leadership as 'arrogant,' alleging that the Chief Minister had completely lost control over his government.
'The CM is inactive, the Home Minister is a puppet, and the Deputy CM runs amok,' he said.
Kumaraswamy slammed the hasty organisation of two parallel celebration events — one near Vidhana Soudha and the other at the stadium — questioning the motive behind such urgency.
'The team won the IPL on Tuesday night. Why the mad rush for a felicitation the next morning? Who received the team at the airport? Only Shivakumar and his loyalists. Was this the DK Shivakumar RCB team?' he said.
He blamed the government's lack of coordination and security arrangements for the fatal crowd surge. 'Had there been one single, well-planned event with proper preparation, this disaster could have been avoided. Instead, it was a PR circus meant to showcase one man — and the fans paid the price,' Kumaraswamy said.
Calling for a judicial inquiry into the incident, Kumaraswamy reiterated that if the Chief Minister had 'even a shred of accountability,' he must begin by sacking his deputy.
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