
Heard of stampede deaths later in evening: Karnataka CM
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that he became aware of the deaths caused by the stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium only after 5.45pm on June 4, the day Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) held their IPL victory celebrations. The tragedy resulted in 11 fatalities and over 56 injuries.
'I came to know the deaths happened at 5.45pm. At 3.50pm, deaths were reported at the hospital, but I came to know about it only at 5.45pm. Until that point, I was not aware of deaths taking place due to the stampede. I have taken action against whoever has done wrong,' Siddaramaiah said.
The CM's statement implied that he became aware of the incident only after the celebrations at Vidhana Soudha had concluded. He did not attend the event at Chinnaswamy Stadium, which began around 6.10pm and was attended by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
The comments came a day after a letter came to light, written by Vidhana Soudha security officer MN Kariasavana who had flagged security concerns about holding the event outside the state assembly. 'Lakhs of people are supposed to come to Vidhana Soudha. Since there is a shortage of security personnel, security arrangements will be difficult,' he wrote to the department of personnel and administrative reforms secretary G Satyavanthi.
Distancing himself from the event's organisation, the CM added, 'The incident happened near the cricket stadium. I have no connection with that. It should not have happened.' He explained that the event was organised by the cricket association. When asked about any planning meetings or involvement of top leaders, he denied any knowledge. He told reporters, 'Neither the Deputy Chief Minister…', then corrected himself saying, 'no, neither the Home Minister, nor I know about it (planning of meetings).'
'It was a normal procedure. The DPR secretary informed me about the event. I asked the Chief Secretary, and she said we could go ahead, especially since the police had agreed,' he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 'The KSCA Secretary and Treasurer met me and invited me. It is not organised by us. They had organised and I was invited. They told me that the Governor would also come... Other than that, I don't know anything. The government has nothing to do...I was not invited to the stadium event.'
Responding to calls for his resignation, Siddaramaiah questioned the precedent, citing other tragedies where resignations were not demanded: 'A bridge fell off, did anyone resign then? In Kumbh Mela, 58 people died, did BJP or Kumaraswamy ask for the resignation of the Prime Minister?'
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) escalated its criticism of the Congress government over the tragedy. Senior BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition R Ashok and MLA Prabhu Bhamla Chavan, protested at the steps of Vidhana Soudha, holding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Home Minister G Parameshwara responsible and demanding their immediate resignations.
'The real culprits are the Chief Minister, the Deputy CM, and the Home Minister. All three should resign. This is the demand of the entire state,' Chavan said, accusing the government of scapegoating suspended police officers. 'They are being sacrificed to shield the ministers. We say, don't offer compensation. Instead, take moral responsibility and resign.'
Ashok slammed the government for rushing the event without proper planning, resulting in loss of lives. 'This is not a government, it is a Tughlaq Durbar. Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar must step down,' he said, demanding compensation of ₹1 crore for each deceased and stressing the need for accountability.
The BJP also opposed the suspension of police officers, including then Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, asserting the police had no fault as permission for the parade had been denied. 'The BJP stands with the police and will fight for them,' Ashok said.
The BJP has announced plans to meet Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to seek his intervention and push for the dismissal of the government.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Twist in UP politics: Swami Prasad Maurya launches bloc, names himself CM candidate
Former minister and a prominent OBC face in Uttar Pradesh politics, Swami Prasad Maurya on Thursday announced the launch of a new political front - Lok Morcha - comprising nine small parties. Addressing a press conference, Maurya declared himself as the chief ministerial candidate of the Morcha. 'We will launch a campaign for the 2027 assembly election with the slogan - UP Bachao - BJP Hatao (Save UP - Remove BJP from power). The parties that joined Lok Morcha include Apni Janata Party led by Swami Prasad Maurya, Rashtriya Samanta Dal led by Motilal Shastri, Samyak Party led by Rajamani Suvvaiya Rai, Janseva Dal led by Vinesh Thakur, Political Justice Party led by Rajesh Siddharth, Sarvlokhit Samaj Party led by Satya Narayan Maurya, Swatantra Janata Raj Party led by Ghanshyam Kori, Sabka Dal-U led by Pramod Lodhi and Loktantra Suraksha Party led by Rajkumar Saini. Majority of the parties forming the Lok Morcha are led by leaders from backward communities. Maurya said the Lok Morcha will launch a movement across UP on public issues. From Friday, the leaders of the Morcha will organise meetings in the various districts of Lucknow division to enlighten people about the programme and ideology of the Morcha. The representation of the various castes in the party organisation will be given according to their population- 'jiski jitni sankha bhari- uski utni hissedari' will be our slogan to win the support of various castes, he said. Launching a scathing attack on the state government, Murya said that law and order has deteriorated, reservation is not implemented in hiring staff through outsourcing, the price of the essential commodities has skyrocketed, education has been privatised and children coming from poor families are deprived of education, the farmers are exploited and the Muslim community is terrorised, he said. The Lok Morcha will raise a demand for polling through ballot papers in assembly and Lok Sabha elections, he said. Once a close aide of BSP chief Mayawati, Maurya was minister in the BSP government - 2007-12. On August 8, 2016 he joined the BJP along with his supporters. He was given a ticket from his traditional seat Padrauna in the 2017 assembly election, Maurya represented Padrauna seat in the assembly in 2009 by poll and 2012 assembly election as well. He won the seat again in the 2017 assembly election and was made minister in the BJP government. He rose in rebellion before the 2022 assembly election and joined the Samajwadi Party. He contested assembly election from Fazilnagar seat but was defeated by the BJP candidate. Later, in February 2024 he quit the Samajwadi Party.


Hindustan Times
31 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Vijay Rupani family: All on wife Anjali Rupani and their children
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those killed on the ill-fated Air India plane that crashed near Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London crashed in a fireball just minutes after takeoff. There were 242 passengers and crew members onboard at the time of the horrific accident. Amid the ongoing search and rescue operations, Union minister and Gujarat BJP president CR Patil confirmed the 68-year-old's death. 'Our leader and former Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, was going (to London) to meet his family. He is also a victim inf this incident. May his soul rest in peace. This is a big loss for the BJP,' Patil told reporters, per PTI. Earlier, aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu had confirmed that Rupani was onboard the flight, saying, 'Very sad to know that Vijay Rupani ji was also there, other nationals, and children were also there. Each and every life is precious. It's an incident which has shaken the nation.' While there is no official confirmation about Rupani's travel plans, sources close to his family told News18 that he was travelling to London to bring back his wife, Anjali Rupani, who is a member of the BJP women's wing. She has reportedly been staying overseas for the past six months. In addition to his wife, Rupani is survived by their two children — son Rushabh and daughter Radhika. The couple had previously lost their youngest son, Pujit in a car accident. In his memory, the Rupanis established the Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust, which helps underprivileged child with their academics among other needs.


The Hindu
33 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Govt. neglecting farmers, no info on extent of loans: BJP
The BJP has accused the Congress Government of neglecting farmers and pushing them into misery despite the new agriculture season commencing early this year. At a press conference at the BJP office here on Thursday, Deputy Floor leader in the Assembly, Payal Shankar, said that there is no official information about the extent of loans sanctioned by banks this season and how much has been disbursed so far. 'Many farmers are unable to go for fresh loans due to the 'half-baked' loan waiver scheme, with no clarity on those who had taken more than ₹2 lakh loan,' he said. The BJP MLA said that despite Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy assuring to join the PM's farm insurance scheme, ignored by BRS Government, there has been no forward movement with not a single paisa released so far. Why not CBI? With regard to the ongoing Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project probe, Mr. Shankar questioned why the Government has been reluctant to hand over the case to the CBI considering that there are allegations of money laundering in the case. The irrigation project has been 'corruption ridden' from Day One to the last day with allegations in every aspect of the construction, he maintained, and asked why the Government has been dilly-dallying about implementing the recommendations of the NDSA. 'Don't criticise Kishan' He advised Mr. Revanth Reddy to desist from criticising party president and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy claiming that the latter has already ensured Telangana got sufficient funds and has been striving for more. The party has won eight MP and eight MLA seats besides bagging two MLC seats which indicates the support of the people, he said. The unfounded criticism directed against Mr. Kishan Reddy could also be a ruse to divert people's attention from the ruling party's failure to implement election promises.