Karnataka Minister Kharge blames BJP for fuelling parade frenzy
Bengaluru, June 5 (UNI) Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday alleged that the opposition BJP actively encouraged the public parade and is now attempting to distance itself from the fallout, in the wake of the tragic stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebrations.
'If you look at yesterday's social media posts by the official BJP handles and their leaders, they were the ones suggesting that the victory parade should go ahead, even proposing an open-bus victory lap. Now, the BJP has deleted those tweets and is saying the event could have been better managed,' Kharge charged, accusing the BJP of political double-speak.
Kharge's remarks come amid rising criticism of the Congress-led state government after the stampede claimed 11 lives.
However, the Minister insisted that the state government had accepted full responsibility and was not attempting to deflect blame. 'We are a responsible government. The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Home Minister have all taken moral and administrative accountability,' he said.
The Minister added that the massive turnout—estimated at nearly three lakh—was unanticipated, given the short 16- to 24-hour window between RCB's title win and the celebrations. 'Naturally, there were planning gaps. But the frenzy was unmatched—people had waited 18 years for this moment,' he noted.
Questioning coordination between stakeholders, Kharge said, 'I'm not sure what exactly transpired between the team management, KSCA, BCCI, and the Home Department. Everyone could have handled this better.'
To probe the lapses and prevent such tragedies in the future, the state has instituted a Magistral Commission.
'The difference between us and other governments is that we are taking responsibility and implementing corrective measures,' he said.
Kharge's targeting of BJP's digital trail is seen as a bid to turn the political heat on the opposition, which has been aggressively criticising the government over the incident. His allegation that BJP deleted earlier tweets endorsing a grand parade may trigger a fresh war of words between the two parties.
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