Euphoria for RCB turns into tragedy for Bengaluru
On Tuesday night, 18 years of heartbreak, despair and harrowing memories had finally given way to an indescribable euphoria. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, an Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit with one of the biggest fanbases, had finally scaled the peak it had promised to so often, only flattering to deceive. Tears of joy flowed from that indomitable cricketer, Virat Kohli. With the IPL crown too on his mantelpiece, he has won almost everything the world of cricket could offer. Naturally, the euphoria would spill out of the stadium in Ahmedabad. As soon as the Rajat Patidar-led side had beaten Punjab Kings in the final, people in Bengaluru had started one giant party. They were entitled to do so. That's the moment fans wait for in near-religious penance — the day when the tears of a 100 lonely nights are washed away by the magic of one trophy-laden celebration.
On Wednesday afternoon, though, scenes of utter joy gave way to an utterly avoidable tragedy as at least 11 fans died while wanting to catch a glimpse of their team and their favourite stars with the trophy. Imagine that for a second. People leaving their homes hoping to get their own pictures of Virat Kohli. At least 11 of them will go back in coffins. Those tragic scenes at the Chinnaswamy Stadium would haunt the franchise forever. This points towards lack of basic planning. Victory parades and fandom are an integral part of club culture abroad. The European football landscape is replete with such events. Of course, not always without incident, but such stampede-like situations would be hard to imagine. Italy's Napoli had a season to remember: the celebrations were wild but without incident.
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Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
RCB, KSCA must pay ₹1 crore each to stampede victims' families, says Karnataka Minister
Karnataka's Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on Friday called on the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to provide ₹1 crore each as compensation to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this week, Deccan Herald reported. According to the report, speaking to reporters, Hebbalkar said she was deeply affected by the deaths, describing the tragedy as a 'heart-wrenching' incident. 'It is extremely unfortunate that 11 people lost their lives during the celebrations. KSCA and RCB must step up and support the victims' families with meaningful compensation,' she said. (Also Read: Chaos in Bengaluru Metro: Viral video shows fans jumping gates amid stampede frenzy. Watch) The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening when a massive crowd gathered outside the stadium to catch a glimpse of the IPL-winning RCB team. Poor crowd control and confusion over entry procedures reportedly contributed to the chaos, leaving over 50 injured in addition to the fatalities. Hebbalkar also took aim at opposition parties, accusing them of politicising the tragedy. 'The opposition is trying to mislead the public. Instead of turning this into a political slugfest, we must focus on understanding the root causes and ensuring such an incident is never repeated,' she said, adding that Congress leaders would respond appropriately to the allegations being made. (Also Read: 'Action taken against those visibly responsible': Siddaramaiah defends government's response in Bengaluru stampede case) Hebbalkar's remarks come amid growing scrutiny over the planning and execution of the RCB victory celebrations. Police have arrested and questioned several individuals, including RCB's marketing head and officials from the event management firm DNA Entertainment. An FIR has also been filed against KSCA, DNA, and RCB. (Also Read: How a Bengaluru DCP, with just two cops, fought to control Chinnaswamy stampede)
Hans India
24 minutes ago
- Hans India
Despite police denying permission, Congress leaders in government exerted pressure: R Ashoka
Bengaluru: The government itself is the culprit in the stampede incident that occurred around Chinnaswamy Stadium. We will fight until the case is handed over to a judicial inquiry and the guilty are punished. The police have been made a scapegoat in this incident, said Opposition Leader R. Ashoka, expressing his outrage. Speaking at a press conference, he said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept the state's law and order in the dark. This is the result of the "great socialist, fun-loving" Siddaramaiah. If the RCB team had won the IPL, the KPCC team posed for photos. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is the batsman, and DK Shivakumar is the bowler. While DK Shivakumar is trying to bowl out Siddaramaiah, the CM is striving to score a century for five years. Amid their tussle, the people of the state have been hit wicket. Eleven talented youths lost their lives, he alleged. The trophy was in the hands of Congress leaders on the stage. The players who toiled for years were sidelined. Some Congress leaders are calling this celebration a hasty decision. For their own rallies, Congress made extensive preparations in Bengaluru, even during floods. However, no preparations were made for a sports event involving youths. If even one percent of the effort put into Congress rallies had been made here, young lives could have been saved, he said. Commissioner's Suspension For the first time in Karnataka's history, a police commissioner has been suspended. People on social media are saying they stand with the police. The police carried injured youths to hospitals, but no Congress workers were present. Yet, the police have been suspended. We will continue our political fight until justice is served and against making someone a scapegoat, he said. The police commissioner had denied permission, but the FIR states that the RCB franchise decided to hold the event in the evening. This means it was an unauthorized event. If Section 144 had been imposed, no one would have attended. Since it was unauthorized, the program should have been canceled by imposing that section. The government took action against the police to avoid embarrassment. We all say the government is the culprit, and the guilty are within the government. Who instructed the franchise to hold the event? Who brought the cricketers? he questioned. The police had advised against holding events at two locations. Yet, CM Siddaramaiah said the incident didn't happen at Vidhana Soudha but at Chinnaswamy Stadium. Both places are adjacent. Despite the police denying permission, the Congress government took the law into its own hands and held the event. Everyone was busy with photo shoots, and no one cared about the people, he said. Government is the Culprit Initially, they said the district commissioner would investigate. Then, they said the CID would probe. This will be covered up like the MUDA and Valmiki Corporation scams. Since the government itself is the culprit, no one from the government should investigate. A judge must conduct the inquiry. We need to know who pressured for permission and who instructed to hold the event. The fight will continue until then, he stated.
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Why arrest Virat Kohli is going viral amidst tragic stampede at RCB's IPL victory parade
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally clinched their maiden IPL title after eighteen years, a moment that should have been pure joy for Virat Kohli and fans alike. However, the celebrations took a grim turn in Bengaluru when a massive crowd gathered to greet the team outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. A stampede broke out, tragically claiming eleven lives and injuring sixty-seven others. Watching and hearing about the stampede in Bangalore made me wonder where we are going ! This is not a national team winning the World Cup ! It's a mere franchise called RCB which works on commercial lines and does not have a single Hyderabad player in it !? It's not even a… Tragedy mars RCB's historic IPL win Despite the chaos outside, festivities continued inside the stadium. Kohli and RCB captain Rajat Patidar addressed enthusiastic fans, while the squad was earlier honoured by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha. The joyous mood was in stark contrast to the distress unfolding beyond the stadium gates. Police action and FIR registrations The Bengaluru Police responded swiftly, taking four officials from RCB and event management firm DNA Entertainment Private Limited into custody. An FIR has been registered against RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), citing serious charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other sections relating to public safety and unlawful assembly under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. 1 parade, 0 brains, & now 7 funerals. What kind of idiots plans a mass celebration without barricades, without strategy?This isn't a celebration gone wrong, this is an administration that went brain-dead🤬#chinnaswamystadium #stampede #RCB Why is #ArrestViratKohli trending? The incident sparked outrage on social media, with #ArrestViratKohli trending prominently on the platform X (formerly Twitter). Many users blamed Kohli and other RCB players, suggesting they share responsibility for the tragedy due to inadequate crowd control and safety measures. Others criticised Kohli for reportedly leaving for London soon after the incident instead of staying back to console victims' families. Zara Fir se Boliyo 😶🙂#chinnaswamystadium #ArrestViratKohli #arrestviratkohli The man who wrote a paragraph on social media about his kid's privacy in public areas across india now has no words other than copy-pasting content to cover up loss of 11 innocent called people for roadshow without Govt & BCCI permission#ArrestViratKohli - @imVkohli CHOKLI IS THE WORST HUMAN # Ongoing investigation into the disaster Authorities are currently probing the causes of the stampede. The FIR details multiple charges including causing hurt, obstructing public servants, and acts endangering the safety of others. The case remains under active investigation as Bengaluru grapples with the aftermath of what was meant to be a victorious celebration.
