Amid stampede criticism, Shivakumar says RCB felicitation finished in 15 minutes
Amid the criticism for mismanagement of crowd which led to a stampede, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the state government wrapped up the felicitation event for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 10-15 minutes.He said that following the news of the stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that left at least seven people dead and several others injured, the event was concluded.advertisement'We shortened the program. The program ended within 10 minutes. We are trying to make everything normal,' he told the mediapersons.
Defending the police deployment, the Bengaluru Minister said, 'lakhs of people came.''I have spoken to the Police Commissioner and everyone. I will also go to the hospital later. I do not want to disturb the doctors who are taking care of the patients. The exact number cannot be told now. We appeal to the people to remain calm,' Shivakumar told reporters.On his official social media handle, he also expressed shock and condolences for the deaths.'People who were supposed to witness RCB's IPL victory celebrations The tragedy and death have brought deep pain and shock. My condolences to the deceased. My condolences to their family,' he wrote on X.advertisementShivakumar also appealed to the people to stay safe. 'Let there be pride, but not bigger than life,' the post said.
Earlier in the day, the Bengaluru Metro had announced via social media platform the sudden closure of a few stations near to the Vidhana Soudha and the Chinnaswamy stadium.They cited the extremely high footfalls for the RCB team felicitation function at the two venues, and stated that from 4.30 pm trains would not stop at Cubbon Park, BR Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha till further notice.Meanwhile, the BJP blamed the Congress-led Karnataka government for the chaos, with state president BY Vijayendra criticising Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over complete failure in crowd mismanagement during the RCB celebrations.In a post on X, he questioned the government's preparedness, writing, 'Stampede-like scenes during RCB's victory celebrations are not just tragic, they are a damning indictment of the Congress government. Did Chief Minister Siddaramaiah even review the crowd safety plan? Did Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who oversees Bengaluru, ensure proper medical and police arrangements? Mumbai hosted a massive World Cup parade without a single stampede. So why did Bengaluru fail?'advertisementHe further said, 'Because in Karnataka, Congress cares more about publicity than public safety. The fans of RCB and the people of Karnataka deserve answers. Therefore, I urge the government to order a judicial inquiry and fix accountability for this avoidable tragedy.''Seven dead. Many are battling for life after a stampede due to the irresponsibility of Congress government. No crowd control measures. No basic arrangements. Just chaos,' read a post from the official BJP Karnataka handle on X.
The party further accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of focusing more on media visibility than on public safety. 'Busy shooting reels, hogging limelight with cricketers. This is criminal negligence. Blood is on the hands of Congress government,' the post added.BJP leader Amit Malviya also took to X to condemn the administration, writing, 'Stampede in Bengaluru. A celebration has turned into a nightmare.'advertisementThe event at M Chinnaswamy Stadium was organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association to felicitate Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for their maiden Indian Premier League title win. While the ceremony was meant for people with valid tickets and passes, large numbers of fans gathered outside the stadium, climbing trees, walls and standing on any available spot for a glimpse of their cricketing idols.
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