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Bengaluru stampede: BJP demands resignation, Siddaramaiah responds
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has demanded his resignation along with those of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara, following the stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 people dead.
'Regarding the tragic stampede incident near Chinnaswamy Stadium, I request the BJP leaders in the state to first release a list of BJP leaders who resigned during similar incidents in the past before demanding our resignation,' Siddaramaiah said during a media briefing.
BJP holds protest at Freedom Park
BJP leaders held a protest at Bengaluru's Freedom Park demanding accountability for the incident, which occurred during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
'RCB won the match and people were enjoying it. But what did the government have to do with it? They called people to celebrate… Vidhana Soudha is not a playground,' said BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy to ANI.
'To take credit, this government messed up and 11 people died. Yet, it refuses to accept its mistake.'
Calling the accident "unfortunate", Siddaramaiah emphasised that the Congress-led state government has taken full accountability.
'As a responsible government, we have taken accountability for the incident,' he said.
'We have suspended senior police officers, including the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, and transferred the Chief of the State Intelligence Department. My political secretary has also been relieved of his duties.'
High-level judicial probe ordered
Siddaramaiah also confirmed that a judicial investigation will be conducted by retired High Court Justice John Michael Cunha.
'We have constituted a one-member commission led by retired Justice Cunha to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter,' he said.
Stampede details
The stampede occurred on June 4, outside Chinnaswamy Stadium, during a felicitation ceremony for RCB players organized by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). The event saw a massive turnout, with several state leaders including CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar in attendance.
The chaotic crowd surge resulted in 11 fatalities and 56 injuries.
In response to the tragedy, the Karnataka government announced an ex gratia compensation of ₹25 lakh each for the families of the deceased.
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