Board says no role, state govt should ‘take note'
Soon after the stampede on Wednesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) distanced itself from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations.
Saying that the state government and local administration should 'take note' of the events that unfolded, the BCCI officials maintained that their responsibility ended with the completion of the tournament.
'Once the IPL final is over and after the presentation, BCCI has no role to play on what the franchise and the team go and do on their home ground,' BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told The Indian Express. '(RCB) didn't have to inform us or take our permission, and the BCCI doesn't have to monitor them either.'
Denying any prior information, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said: 'We had no knowledge of any victory parade or celebrations planned in Bengaluru. We had no idea who organised it and how so many fans came there.'
'The RCB management also had no idea what was happening outside because they were inside the stadium. As soon as we got to know, we spoke to RCB officials, and they informed us that they were winding up the celebrations. I am sure the state government and local administration would also take note of this event,' Dhumal said.
Saikia underlined the need for proper planning before holding such events. 'While organising this kind of event, they should properly coordinate with local law enforcement authorities so that nothing untoward happens,' he said.
The day began with the first official announcement at around 7 am about a victory parade on RCB's social media handles. 'RCB Victory Parade in Bengaluru. This one's for you, 12th Man Army. For every cheer, every tear, every year. Loyalty is Royalty and today, the crown is yours. More details soon,' the franchise said in a post on X from its official handle.
And at 3:14 pm: 'RCB Victory Parade: Today at 5 pm IST. Victory parade will be followed by celebrations at the Chinnaswamy stadium. We request all fans to follow guidelines set by police and other authorities, so that everyone can enjoy the roadshow peacefully. Free passes (limited entry) available on the website.'
But soon, media reports about the parade getting cancelled started doing the rounds. At 3:48 pm, Bengaluru City Traffic police posted an advisory about a felicitation programme in the evening with no mention of any parade. But lakhs of fans assembled at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and tried to get in, resulting in a stampede.
Later in the evening, RCB expressed anguish at the deaths and said they made the required changes to their programme once they came to know what was happening outside the stadium. 'The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extends our heartfelt condolences to the affected families,' the franchise said in a statement. 'Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our programme, and followed the guidance and advice of the local administration.'
RCB and the Karnataka State Cricket Association have announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each of the deceased.
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