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.
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