'It was a government-manufactured stampede': BJP's Sambit Patra slams Karnataka govt; says CM Siddaramaiah trying to normalise deaths of 11
NEW DELHI: BJP spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka government over the tragic stampede at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives and injured over 75 people during celebrations following RCB's maiden IPL victory.
Questioning the handling of the event, Patra alleged that the tragedy was not a mere accident but a 'government-manufactured stampede.'
'Was it just an accident or a manufactured stampede? I say it was a government-manufactured stampede, ' Patra said at a press conference, accusing the state administration of gross negligence.
He criticised chief minister Siddaramaiah for allegedly downplaying the incident.
'The CM said such stampedes keep happening and are normal. He is trying to normalise the loss of 11 innocent lives,' Patra said.
Highlighting a lack of coordination between key officials, Patra blamed tensions between the chief minister and deputy chief minister (DCM) for the chaos. 'The DCM said that the capacity of the Chinnaswamy Stadium is 35000, but 3 lakh people were present in the victory march. Why did that happen?, " he questioned.
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Patra further pointed out that Bengaluru police had not granted permission for the victory parade. 'So why was it carried out? Who decided to go ahead with it despite police objections? Why was there no coordination between the police and organisers?' he asked.
Terming the ongoing celebrations amidst the chaos as 'insensitive,' Patra added, 'The worst part is, the felicitations continued while people were dying.'
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday addressed the tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives, stating that while he did not intend to 'defend' the incident, 'many stampedes have occurred in the past.'
In a press conference, Siddaramaiah expressed grief over the deaths but urged against politicising the tragedy. 'Our government will not do politics on this incident,' he said. Attempting to place the tragedy in a broader context, the chief minister referenced previous stampedes, including those that occurred during the Kumbh Mela.
"I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came,"
CM Siddaramaiah
said.
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