‘Photo opportunity cost': Father of Bengaluru stampede victim refuses to leave son's grave
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden IPL victory in 18 years – which was anticipated to be a grand celebration – turned ghastly, leaving at least 11 people dead and 47 injured after a stampede broke out at the gates of the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Still, beyond the statistics lie heartbreaking stories, such as that of a father seen in a viral video clinging to his son's grave in anguish.
The video doing the rounds on social media shows BT Lakshman – father of 21-year-old Bhumik Lakshman, who died in the stampede – crying inconsolably at his son's grave, refusing to leave him, in their native village in Hassan district.
'What happened to my son should not happen to anyone,' he says, lying on the ground with his head pressed against the grave. 'The land I had bought for him is where his memorial has been built.'
Refusing to let go, Lakshman adds, 'I don't want to go anywhere else now. I want to stay here too,' as two men approach and help him to his feet. 'No father should have to face what I am facing,' he says.
Bhumik, a final-year engineering student, was among the thousands who had gathered outside Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday to celebrate and catch a glimpse of the RCB players after their historic IPL title win – the team's first in 18 years. Tragically, he was one of the 11 people, including a 14-year-old girl, who lost their lives in the resulting stampede.
The video of Mr Lakshman at his son's grave was also shared by the Karnataka unit of the BJP, which has accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of being 'murderous.'
'Murderous CM @siddaramaiah sir, murderous DCM @DKShivakumar sir, if you had made up your mind, you could have taken a photo with your children and grandchildren in a luxurious hotel with a cup. But your insistence on taking a photo on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha has made 11 families wash their hands in tears every day. Can you give this father his son back?' the BJP Karnataka handle posted in Kannada on X.
The video also evoked a plethora of responses from social media users, who slammed Bengaluru Police's security arrangements, while several believed that 'a photo opportunity cost so many lives.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Will be off social media': Sift Kaur Samra vows to avoid past mistakes, to limit mobile use during Olympics and Asian Games
New Delhi : was India's leading prospect in women's 50m rifle 3 positions event at the Paris Olympics. She had gone to Paris after becoming India's first gold medallist in 50m rifle 3P at the in Hangzhou, encompassing both individual and team events for men and women. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Her Olympic journey, however, came to an end during the qualification phase. With a disappointing score of 575 in qualification, Sift finished 31st. The world record holder in 50m rifle 3P from Punjab's Faridkot has now committed to avoiding past mistakes at future competitions, including the Los Angeles Games in 2028, pledging to abstain from social media and mobile phone usage during events. 'The more you get into the social media things and start reacting to them, the more confused and pressurised you become. There was so much chatter around during the Olympics time and I was actually so engrossed into it. This time I have decided that I will stay away from any kind of social media and my mobile at the time of important tournaments, including the Olympics. I'll be completely off social media for months,' Sift told TOI. Virat Kohli's love for 'dhaba' food, priority for family & more | RCB bus driver shares stories 'Paris was an eye-opener for me. I just couldn't realise for a while what actually happened at the Games. Everyone was talking about the Olympics and that Sift was a sure-shot medal winner. So much frenzy and excitement made me nervous during my competition. The pressure did me in,' Sift added.
News18
31 minutes ago
- News18
Ponting Tells Preity Zinta Why He's Not A 'Calm' Coach: 'You Need To Sit Next To Me'
Last Updated: PBKS coach Ricky Ponting tells Preity Zinta why he's not a calm coach, inviting her to sit with him in the dug-out. Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting has denied the misconception that he's calm and composed as a coach in the dugout, saying that he's an aggressive person and can't help it, especially during 'cricket time'. Ponting was answering a question from the franchise's co-owner, actress and entrepreneur Preity Zinta, in a recent podcast. The team shared a clip of it on social media, with the caption, 'Ponting mentality – Train with passion, roar with aggression 💪🔥'. In it, Zinta can be seen asking him: 'How does somebody be so aggressive on the ground and as a person, but be so calm and chilled out?" Ponting offered a hilarious reply, asking Zinta to try and observe him closely in the dugout to understand the reality of how his nature seems from afar. 'You need to come and sit next to me in the dugout sometimes because you will see that it's not always calm. Look, I'm an aggressive-natured person, especially when it's cricket time. I'll have a laugh and a joke and a coffee and a sit down with anyone and talk about anything outside of cricket time. But when it's cricket time, it's my job to bring high performance to this team. And so I'm not gonna waste a minute, I'm not gonna waste a day, I'm not gonna waste a training session where I'm not trying to be the best coach that I can be and make every single player that's playing with me the best player that they can be," Ponting said. This aggression from Ponting matched Shreyas Iyer's at PBKS, with the duo taking the franchise to just its second IPL final in the recent season. They lost convincingly to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, but not before a spirited effort in the group stages, which helped them finish top of the points table, despite having one of the youngest squads. Apart from being credited for being an excellent man-manager throughout, Ponting was also praised for leading PBKS' brilliant auction strategy. Being a team that has otherwise frequently changed captains and coaches, PBKS would want to stick with the duo and aim to go all the way with a bit more experience next year. About the Author Cricketnext Staff First Published: June 08, 2025, 10:05 IST
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
French Open 2025: Novak Djokovic soaks in the love as he hints at Paris farewell, points to Wimbledon as his best shot at a Grand Slam
Novak Djokovic applauds the French Open crowd after his loss to Jannik Sinner in the semi-final at Roland Garros in Paris (Image via AP) The Times of India at Roland Garros : On his way out of Court Philippe Chatrier for probably the last time in his storied career, Novak Djokovic dropped his bags, turned to the packed house and applauded them. Then, before exiting the arena where he has thrice reigned, the 24-time Major winner tapped the ground and patted his chest, showing his love for Roland Garros and Paris. Djokovic - who had the near 15,000-strong crowd pulling for him in the French Open semifinals on Friday night when he faced the world No.1 Jannik Sinner - said his action was appreciation. 'Just a great sense of gratitude for the kind of support that I received tonight,' he said. 'Incredible, I don't think I have ever received this much support in this stadium in my career in big matches against the best players in the world. The crowd were terrific in moments when it seemed like it was going all of his way, they would lift me up and encourage me and give me strength to keep going and fight to the last ball, which I did. ' 'This could have been the last match I played here, that's why I was a bit more emotional in the end,' Djokovic said. Virat Kohli's love for 'dhaba' food, priority for family & more | RCB bus driver shares stories Djokovic's loss to the 23-year-old Sinner may reflect a straight-set scoreline, but the Serb was just 15 points behind the Italian in the total point count, that's how evenly balanced the last-four clash was. Djokovic, who was asked about his calendar, reiterated that Grand Slams were the priority at this stage in his career. Poll Did Djokovic's loss to Sinner surprise you? Yes, I expected him to win. No, Sinner is a stronger player. 'Wimbledon is next, which is my childhood favorite tournament. I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready. My best chances maybe are Wimbledon to win another Slam or a faster hard court, maybe Australia,' he said. The world No.6, looking for a historic 25th major title, said the plan was to play the Grand Slams this year, Wimbledon and then the US Open. Novak Djokovic after losing to Jannik Sinner at the French Open (Image via X) Djokovic, who called for a trainer during the semifinal, said he was dealing with a muscular issue throughout the tournament. 'It was bothering me a little bit in some long matches. It's a muscular issue,' he said. The Serbian superstar said matches against Sinner and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz force you to go for more. 'That's what these kinds of guys Sinner and Alcaraz particularly present on the court. They put pressure, so they're constantly on you and basically increase the pressure as the match progresses,' he said. 'So when the opportunities are presented, it makes you a little more anxious, you want to go for the shot. ' Djokovic said that while there may be some similarities in Sinner's and his playing styles, they were very different players. 'When I was at my best, I was also playing quite fast all the time. But he's different,' he said. 'With Alexander Zverev (in the quarters) I felt like I had a bit more time from the baseline,. With Jannik, no. No time. So you have to constantly be at your best.'
