RCB eye edge in play-offs race, CSK an elusive win in the backdrop of emotional Kohli-Dhoni match-up
Before delving into that possibility, a glance of the situation will reveal that RCB can swell their tally to 16 with a win, a position from where they potentially cannot falter in the race to the Qualifiers with three matches still remaining.
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
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
- India Today
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
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Bengaluru stampede: Celebration without control, accountability without action
In India, where emotions often take centre stage, it has become a norm for sports personalities, film stars, and celebrities to draw huge crowds, even for private events. It is becoming increasingly challenging to manage the overwhelming public response that follows. The recent chaos in Bengaluru during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory parade stands as a stark reminder of the consequences of administrative should have been a joyous celebration for lakhs of fans turned into a distressing, stampede-like situation due to poor planning, inadequate crowd control measures, and the absence of timely coordination by the Karnataka government and local authorities. While the city erupted in cheers for its long-awaited IPL triumph, it also witnessed the wide cracks in preparedness that marred what was otherwise a historic moment for RCB had waited 18 long years for this celebration. Generations of RCB fans, bound by loyalty, passion, and the undying hope of victory, thronged the streets to get a glimpse of their cricketing idols. Can anyone honestly blame them for their overwhelming enthusiasm? Their emotions were natural, their expectations justified. What was not justified, however, was the state administration's lack of basic preparation. Instead of accepting responsibility, the state government of Karnataka was quick to point fingers at others, including the state police department and event organisers, without realising that the primary duty to ensure law, order, and public safety rests squarely on the shoulders of the state government of people from my home state were among the most unfortunate whose lives were cut short. Most of the deceased were in their teens or twenties. All they wanted was a glimpse of their favourite cricketers who brought them much-awaited glory. What was meant to be a cheerful evening turned out to be a tearful one for the suo motu cognisance, the Karnataka High Court has strongly criticised the state government of Karnataka and RCB for holding a massive victory parade without proper authorisation or coordination. It has become clear that despite the police denying permission due to crowd-control concerns, RCB went ahead and unilaterally announced a parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium on the morning of June 4 at 7 am, distributing a media advisory around 10:30 am that included the parade timing. This created a media frenzy, and the news of the parade quickly spread, leading to the assembly of lakhs of people, despite no such authorisation rushed, unauthorised celebration not only sidestepped safety protocols but also lacked any measurable preparation. Traffic advisories referenced a celebration, but there was no mention of a parade, and no robust crowd-management plan was in served the people of Bengaluru as a police officer, I find it deeply disturbing that such a massive public gathering was allowed to unfold in the heart of the city with virtually no preparation or coordinated planning. What's even more troubling is the Karnataka government's response. Instead of accepting responsibility for the administrative lapses, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister have chosen to scapegoat the police. A few days ago, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and all police officials responsible for the jurisdiction where the stadium is located have been is often overlooked is the sheer volume of responsibilities a police officer shoulders in a single day, ranging from maintaining law and order, responding to emergencies, regulating traffic, ensuring the security of VIPs, to addressing numerous citizen grievances. Providing security for a victory parade, especially one announced unilaterally and without adequate planning, becomes yet another burden layered onto an already overstretched force.I still remember assigning police personnel from my jurisdiction to serve the requests in another jurisdiction due to pressing needs. Our men and women in uniform carry out these duties with limited resources and under immense pressure, yet when systemic failures occur at the top, it is the frontline officers who are made to bear the blame. This is not just unfair, it is demoralising, to say the victory parade is not an ordered crowd like the ones coming to the stadium; they know their stand and their seat, and it does not take many policemen to control the crowd and to ensure their safety. It has also come to light that the state police department has deployed double the number of police personnel for this victory parade compared to the previous bandobast given in the Chinnaswamy Stadium. For the victory parade on June 4, 1318 police personnel were deployed. During the earlier matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, only 789 police personnel were on Gladwell, in his book Outliers, argues that in most plane crashes worldwide, the reason is likely that the pilot failed to communicate the reason and the urgency for seeking an emergency landing to the control tower. In my considered opinion, the primary reason behind the stampede in the victory parade in Bengaluru is the lack of information provided to the crowd gathered RCB's urgency the reason for this catastrophe? Is it for the RCB team management to introspect and reason?advertisementSomeone who saw the victory parade after India's victory in 1983 would have assembled outside the Chinnaswamy stadium. Someone who attended the 2011 victory parade would have come. They had come there for the love of the game of cricket, and it is condemnable to victim shame those who attended the event. If there is someone to blame, it is the state government of has repeatedly absolved his government of any blame, insisting the tragedy occurred during an 'event not organised by the state'. He claimed he was merely an invitee and wasn't informed about the deaths until hours later at 5:45pm, even as celebrations continued unabated around him. If that is the case, why did he later sack his political secretary? And instead of acknowledging responsibility, they are scapegoating the very police officers who followed orders and worked tirelessly to contain the chaos. This is a time for tournaments like the Indian Premier League to begin considering employing private security personnel, similar to those deployed in Europe during football tournaments, for security and crowd management the past few days, several KCA officials, including the secretary and treasurer, have voluntarily stepped down, taking moral responsibility for the chaos. The police have also arrested officials from does the buck stop here?(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch
