Bengaluru Stampede: Congress High Command Summons Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar To Delhi
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The Congress high command has called Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to Delhi, in connection with the Bengaluru stampede case.
Days after a stampede near Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium killed 11 people, the Congress high command has summoned Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to Delhi.
Sources with the Congress party told CNN-News18 that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were asked to meet Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday morning.
DK Shivakumar is already in the national capital for a government program, and is likely to extend his stay to meet Gandhi.
The Chief Minister, meanwhile, is likely to fly to Delhi on Tuesday morning.
On Sunday, Siddaramaiah had expressed grief over the stampede, saying the incident should not have happened.
He also clarified that he 'didn't have any connection with the cricket stadium".
Addressing reporters in Mysuru on Sunday, Siddaramaiah said, 'This incident shouldn't have happened, it happened at the Cricket stadium. I don't have any connection with the cricket stadium."
Asked about the allegation that the then Bengaluru Police commissioner B Dayananda was made a scapegoat, he said, the Commissioner alone has not been suspended, five officers have been suspended, and the intelligence chief has been changed.
'My political secretary, K Govindara,j has been removed. We have taken a series of actions, not the police commissioner alone," he added.
The stampede happened on June 4 in front of the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations.
The Opposition has been demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister over the matter.
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United News of India
32 minutes ago
- United News of India
CM ordered Sosale's arrest, Karnataka HC told
Bengaluru, June 9 (UNI) The Karnataka High Court on Monday questioned the state's conduct in the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede probe, following allegations that the arrest of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale was carried out under the direct instruction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, bypassing legal procedures and jurisdiction. Hearing a clutch of petitions filed by RCB and event partner DNA Entertainment Networks seeking quashing of criminal cases related to the June 4 stampede, which claimed 11 lives and left 56 injured, Justice SR Krishna Kumar observed that it would be premature to conclude that RCB's social media posts were the sole or primary cause of the tragedy. Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, appearing for Sosale, alleged that his client was illegally arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) despite the case having been transferred to the Crime Investigation Department (CID). He claimed the arrest at Kempegowda International Airport in the early hours of June 6 was politically driven. 'This arrest was not supported by law. There was no preliminary inquiry. The direction came from the Chief Minister,' Chouta told the Court. He further submitted that Sosale was not informed of the reasons for his arrest, nor was he presented with official identification or documentation at the time of arrest. 'At 4.30 AM, he was arrested by CCB officers, not CID. Only at 8.20 AM was any documentation given. The law requires badge, identity, and arrest memo to be produced,' Chouta added. In response, Justice Krishna Kumar said the matter would be taken up on June 10 and asked the state to submit its reply before deciding on interim relief for Sosale. The judge also questioned the unequal treatment of different parties in the case. While interim relief from arrest had been extended to officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the state was resisting similar relief to RCB and DNA. 'You have granted relief to KSCA. Why not them (RCB and DNA)? They are before the court,' the judge said, urging the state to adhere to a 'gentleman's agreement' and instruct investigators not to arrest any other RCB or DNA officials until the next hearing on June 12. Earlier, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty accused RCB of 'recklessly' inviting the public to the IPL victory celebrations at Chinnaswamy Stadium by issuing three tweets on social media platform X, which he claimed had reached 13 crore users. The stadium, with a seating capacity of 33,000, saw nearly 5 lakh people descend on its gates, leading to the deadly stampede. Shetty also argued that RCB announced the celebrations in Ahmedabad without seeking permission from the state. 'Your lordships are ignoring facts. The three tweets – they caused the stampede!' he submitted. However, Justice Kumar remarked, 'We are not in a position to say today that RCB/DNA or the government is more responsible… It is premature. They are only asking for protection.' Senior Advocate CV Nagesh claimed that the Chief Minister himself had extended an open invitation to the public, not RCB. 'I have not invited anybody. It was the Hon'ble Chief Minister,' Nagesh argued. This statement was met with strong objection by the AG, who termed it factually incorrect and insisted RCB's tweets were the trigger. Meanwhile, the court has also taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and is scheduled to hear the state's status report on the stampede on June 10. Justice Krishna Kumar reiterated that no further arrests should take place until the Court delivers a decision. 'When I am seized of the matter… don't arrest anyone. Otherwise, there will be one more case,' he warned. UNI BDN
Hindustan Times
39 minutes ago
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Bengaluru stampede: Some questions for Karnataka govt
The magnitude of the recent tragedy at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy stadium defies words. Many young lives were snuffed out during the ghastly events that occurred during the public celebration of the Indian Premier League (IPL) winner, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The horror could have been averted if only all those who held public office in the city and were responsible for upholding citizen safety had displayed professionalism instead of getting immersed in a dubious celebration. IPL is a big money-laden spectacle that has an intoxicating effect on the young and old. At the Bengaluru carnival, one powerful VIP was pictured holding the trophy and hosting it sky high as if he had himself scored runs and taken wickets to help RCB win the cup. This was typical of many of our bigwigs who do not miss any photo-op to project themselves as heroes and grab the honour from those who deserved it. It doesn't matter if their antics disrupt public life and inconvenience the community at large. I am more than convinced that if RCB's well-deserved triumph had not been so unabashedly politicised, the tragedy would not have happened. What is appalling is the manner in which the State administration has acted to distance themselves from the horrific happening and pass the buck on to those who cannot protest. In a knee-jerk reaction, the government has suspended the commissioner of police and a host of other policemen. It is not as if Karnataka alone is guilty of this senseless display of power. Many other state governments have been equally facetious and ridiculous in the past to pin down the blame on the police as if they were guilty of causing a stampede. Inefficiency and negligence on the part of any government agency has to be punished, no doubt. There is no room for any charity here. But then, fairness demands that a simple and credible procedure has to precede any harsh action like suspension. As head of government, the chief minister should remember that such peremptory action only damages his image and reduces his credibility. More than this, the suspension of a high police official demoralises the whole force and makes it less effective in a crisis. There are several questions which call for answers from the Karnataka government. Did the city police refuse to give the nod to the holding of the event? There are reports that suggest the police commissioner was against the celebrations being held at such short notice. If so, why was he overruled? The bane of our democracy is that the politician is omniscient and is considered superior in wisdom to any professional civil servant, such as the commissioner of police with years of field experience. Our system endows the ballot box with undeserved wisdom in some places. Let me add that the replaced commissioner enjoyed a good reputation and seems to be a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Were the chief secretary and the director general of police consulted before acting against the policemen concerned? If the answer is in the affirmative, what advice did they give? I cannot believe they would have endorsed the thoughtless action which was obviously more for optics than for any real reason of promoting administrative norms or efficiency. My hunch is that the State action was for appeasing enraged public opinion. This is the ruse many governments adopt when caught napping. If any harsh action against a civil servant such as suspension should appear credible it has to be preceded by a brief and quick preliminary enquiry. Without that any punitive action such as suspension is unwarranted and bad in law. Suspension of a government official, whatever be the rank, without application of mind on the part of the head of administration smacks of arbitrariness and vindictiveness. The suspended policemen were not common criminals who deserved to be hanged without a hearing. They could have been withdrawn from the field temporarily and made to await the outcome of internal enquiry. The haste with which they were suspended is disgraceful. RK Raghavan is a former CBI director. The views expressed are personal.
India Today
an hour ago
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Retired IPS officers urge Siddaramaiah to revoke suspensions over stampede
The Indian Police Foundation, along with several retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to revoke the suspension orders issued against three IPS officers, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B their letter, the retired officers stated that a social media post made by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) management triggered a massive crowd turnout near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium leading to a deadly stampede which claimed eleven lives. They emphasised that although the police had made necessary security arrangements, the confusion surrounding ticketing procedures and the scheduling of dual events at both Vidhana Soudha and the stadium created an extremely difficult situation for crowd officers noted that the public response had far exceeded initial expectations and that the police, despite facing logistical constraints, had done their best under the circumstances. The appeal describes the suspension of the three officers as unjust and requests that the decision be reviewed and revoked at the earliest. On June 5, top sources had revealed to India Today that the Karnataka government went ahead with the RCB felicitation ceremony the day after the team's Indian Premier League (IPL) victory, despite the Bengaluru Police having advised that it be held on Sunday, June 8, instead. The police had reportedly suggested that Sunday, being a non-working day, would cause less traffic disruption and allow sufficient time for preparing security arrangements and setting up also said that police personnel had worked late into the nights of June 3 and reportedly until 4 am on June 4, to manage the crowds that had taken to the streets following RCB's IPL win. Given the exhaustive shifts, senior officers indicated that deploying forces again the following morning for another high-pressure event would have been physically draining for the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after chairing a Cabinet meeting on June 5, announced the immediate suspension of several police officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, the stadium in-charge, the ACP, the central DCP, the Cubbon Park police station in-charge, and the police poured in from former officers, political parties, citizens, and online communities rallying behind suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda against the order. IN THIS STORY#Bengaluru#Karnataka
