Bengaluru Stampede: Police officer says CM's office ordered to go ahead with RCB's IPL win celebration despite risks

Time of India

8 hours ago

The suspension of Bengaluru city police commissioner
B Dayananda
and four senior officers has triggered widespread anger within the police force. Officers across ranks—from constables to inspectors—say they feel betrayed by the government they serve, calling the action unprecedented and demoralising, ToI reported.
A police inspector said such suspensions were unheard of in Indian policing, particularly under these circumstances. 'The chief minister's office instructed him (Dayananda) to proceed with full arrangements regardless of the risks. If accountability must be fixed, it should start with those in the govt,' he told ToI, pointing to the direct involvement of the state leadership in organising the
Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory celebrations
.
The backlash reached the gates of power on Thursday when head constable Narasimharaju from Madiwala police station staged a lone protest in front of Raj Bhavan. He was detained by police, taken to the Vidhana Soudha police station, and released after giving an apology.
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An assistant sub-inspector from the central division described the suspensions as politically motivated. 'There is video proof of deputy CM
DK Shivakumar
waving the RCB flag and welcoming the team. They wanted to take credit, and now they've made scapegoats of hardworking officers. It's demoralising,' he said.
A senior inspector added that Dayananda had been against holding a ceremony at Vidhana Soudha and had recommended keeping it confined to the stadium. 'The police commissioner was against holding a function at Vidhana Soudha. He had pushed for hosting it only at the stadium, but the CM's office insisted on going ahead. We're being punished for following orders,' he said. 'We work round the clock, sacrificing family time. And this is what we get!'
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The sentiment was echoed across police ranks, with growing criticism not just of the elected leadership but also of senior bureaucrats. Police personnel said the chief secretary and other IAS officers were equally culpable for 'throwing caution to the wind.'
Many in the force credited Dayananda with improving the city's safety and questioned why he was being held responsible for what they believe was a failure of political judgement. 'He should not have been punished for a disaster that, they claim, speaks more about the political establishment's greed to bask in the glory of the IPL champions than any real policing lapse,' said one officer.
A head constable from the south-east division described the exhausting shifts since the IPL final. 'We barely had any rest. Yet, by afternoon on June 4, we were told to again report for duty near the stadium [Chinnaswamy]. And now, they're targeting the commissioner who stood by us!'
(with inputs from ToI)