Congress Criticised, I Didnt: On Bengaluru Stampede Deaths, Siddaramaiahs Kumbh Parallel
Bengaluru Stampede: A tragic incident unfolded in Bengaluru on Wednesday when a stampede occurred near the Chinnaswamy Stadium as fans had gathered to cheer for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for winning their first IPL trophy in 18 years. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that such incidents happen in many places and drew a parallel to the Kumbh Mela that was held earlier this year.
In the stampede, 11 people lost their lives and 47 were injured. Speaking to the media about the incident, the CM added that the Congress party had criticised the incident that happened during Kumbh Mela 2025, however, the Karnataka government did not.
"Such incidents happened in many places; I am not going to defend it by comparing them and saying that it happened here and there... 50-60 people died in Kumbh Mela. I did not criticise. If Congress criticises, then that is a different matter. Did I or the Karnataka government criticise?" said Karnataka CM.
#WATCH | Bengaluru stampede | "Such incidents happened in many places; I am not going to defend it by comparing them and saying that it happened here and there... 50-60 people died in Kumbh Mela. I did not criticise. If Congress criticises, then that is a different matter. Did I… pic.twitter.com/pbvQZnO6Vm — ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2025
Earlier, Siddaramaiah, in a post on the social media platform X, had expressed shock over the stampede and said that the moment of joy was eclipsed by sorrow.
"Deeply shocked by the tragic loss of lives in the stampede during the RCB victory celebrations near Chinnaswamy Stadium. A moment of joy has been eclipsed by sorrow," he posted.
"I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," Karnataka CM added.
He also added that a victory parade for the RCB was not allowed as a precautionary measure; however, a crowd surge near the stadium where the felicitation ceremony was taking place for the team led to the stampede.
"Precautionary measures were taken by not allowing a victory parade, but the crowd surge near the stadium led to this tragedy. I urge everyone to always prioritise safety — above excitement, celebration, or crowd fervour," Siddaramaiah wrote.
The Prime Minister's Office also posted on X and quoted PM Narendra Modi as saying, "The mishap in Bengaluru is absolutely heartrending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery."
The Deputy CM of Karnataka, speaking to the media, complimented the police and said, " Again I'm telling on record. I should compliment my Police officers... morning also, they wanted to have a procession, they wanted to bring a vehicle from the airport itself... Police guided us not to... that's why I rushed to the airport and ensured nothing went wrong... in Vidhana Soudha, also we were very cautious..."
Shivakumar also informed that, for Thursday, except for the cabinet meeting, all programmes have been postponed.
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