Bengaluru stampede: Min Ramalinga Reddy admits ‘some lapses' on part of govt; Hebbalkar, HK Patil deny
Belagavi: Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy on Friday admitted to 'certain administrative lapses' in connection with the Bengaluru stampede but argued that the govt alone cannot be blamed.
Speaking to media persons in Belagavi, he said: "Some lapses occurred, but the govt cannot be held solely responsible."
He noted that while the state already organised an official felicitation for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team in front of Vidhana Soudha, a separate celebration at Chinnaswamy Stadium, hosted by the RCB management and stadium authorities, was unnecessary. This event drew an overwhelming crowd of 2–3 lakh fans, far exceeding the stadium's 35,000 seating capacity.
"They publicly announced free tickets and failed to obtain police permission for the event," Reddy said. "RCB and the stadium authorities must be held accountable." However, the minister acknowledged shortcomings on the part of the govt as well. "Our intelligence should have picked up on this. The police should've insisted on permission. If refused, they should've stepped in to restrict the event," he said.
Responding to BJP's demand for the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and home minister G Parameshwara, Reddy accused the opposition of double standards.
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"In the past, stampedes and terror attacks took lives — be it Kumbh Mela in UP or Pahalgam in Kashmir. did any top BJP leader resign?" he asked, drawing comparisons to national-level incidents.
Govt taking action across the board: HK Patil
Law & parliamentary affairs minister HK patil rejected claims that police officers were being scapegoated. "The govt has taken swift action — not only against police officials but also against the RCB management and event organisers.
FIRs have been filed," he said. He emphasised that a one-member commission, headed by retired high court judge John Michael Cunha, has been constituted to conduct a thorough investigation.
"We are acting transparently. What more do they expect?" he said, also highlighting the chief minister and deputy chief minister's prompt outreach to victims' families immediately after the incident.
RCB should pay Rs 1 crore compensation: Hebbalkar
Women and child welfare minister Laxmi Hebbalkar demanded that RCB and the Karnataka State Cricket Association pay Rs 1 crore compensation per victim, stating that the franchise has 'earned substantial profits' and should now show responsibility. On the matter of intelligence failure, she called it part of the broader investigation and accused the opposition of misleading the public for political mileage. All three ministers were in Belagavi on Friday to attend an event of the Reddy community, where they spoke to media persons.
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