
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


Mint
29 minutes ago
- Mint
Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka HC denies interim relief to RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale, order reserved till June 11
Bengaluru stampede: The Karnataka High Court has denied interim relief to Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of IPL criket team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), according to a PTI report. Further, the HC has reserved its order till June 11, it added. (This is a breaking story, more updates coming…)


India Today
36 minutes ago
- India Today
ED attaches assets worth Rs 100 crore held by dummy owners in Muda case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached 92 immovable properties with an estimated market value of Rs 100 crore in connection with the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. The attachment was carried out on June 9 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), to the ED, the properties in question include Muda sites that are registered in the names of housing cooperative societies and individuals who are alleged to be front persons or cummies for influential individuals, including officials of the enforcement action stems from an investigation initiated on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Lokayukta Police in Mysuru. The FIR was filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Among those named in the FIR is Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with others. The ED's investigation has uncovered what it describes as a large-scale scam involving the allotment of Muda sites. The agency claims that statutory provisions and government orders or guidelines were flouted to carry out fraudulent allotments. It further stated that the role of former Muda commissioners, including GT Dinesh Kumar, has emerged as central to the illegal allocation of compensation sites to individuals and entities who were ineligible. The investigation is


Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bengaluru stampede: No interim relief for RCB exec Nikhil Sosale, Karnataka HC reserves judgment till June 11
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday reserved its order till June 11 on a plea filed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) marketing executive Nikhil Sosale , who sought interim relief in connection with the stampede incident at the city's Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives on June 4. The stampede occurred during a public event organized to celebrate RCB's maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title. A massive crowd had gathered at the venue, leading to a stampede-like situation. Several individuals sustained injuries as the authorities struggled to control the turnout. Sosale, a member of the RCB management team, approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail and interim protection from coercive action after a FIR registered against the franchise, the event organisers and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) under charges related to negligence and public endangerment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Vietnam (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Earlier last week, the HC granted protection from arrest to the KSCA office bearers in connection with the stampede case. Justice SR Krishna Kumar, while granting interim relief to KSCA office bearers, president Raghuram Bhat, secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam, asked them to cooperate with the police investigations. The court had asked the government and the police not to take any coercive action against the office-bearers till the next date of the hearing, which is now scheduled for June 12. Live Events The KSCA management swiftly moved the high court last week after chief minister Siddaramaiah ordered the arrest of its office bearers along with the senior executives of RCB Bengaluru and DNA Entertainment Networks charging them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other sections under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Their petition prayed for the quashing of the FIR holding KSCA management accountable for the deaths and injuries to RCB fans.