Bengaluru stampede: BJP blames Congress duo Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar for tragedy
R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition, blamed the Bengaluru stampede on the rivalry between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, accusing them of prioritizing credit for RCB's IPL victory over public safety. He criticized Shivakumar's airport photo op and the lack of emergency services, calling the deaths "government-sponsored murder.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly , R Ashoka, on Wednesday pointed to the "shadow boxing" between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar as the cause of confusion that led to the tragic stampede in Bengaluru.In a statement, the BJP leader said the rivalry between the two leaders, as they vied to claim credit for RCB's IPL victory, was responsible for the mishap, calling the deaths a "government-sponsored murder." He alleged that the Deputy CM rushed to the airport to pose for photographs with the players instead of overseeing arrangements in Bengaluru, while the police remained clueless about the procession. He also noted the absence of ambulances and fire brigades at the stadium.Ashoka demanded ₹25 lakh in compensation for the families of the deceased and called on the government to fully cover the medical expenses of the injured.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
12 minutes ago
- Hans India
End percentage raj in state: BJP to Cong
Hyderabad: BJP National Vice President and Member of Parliament DK Aruna urged the Congress government in the state to stop looting and focus on development. While addressing the media on Friday after attending the 'BJP Bharosa' program—where party representatives interact with the public to address their concerns—she alleged that a 'Percentage Rule' is prevalent in Telangana. Under this rule, pending bills are only paid if 30 per cent is first paid as a bribe. The corruption chain continues in the state, with many families of key leaders involved in this practice, she alleged. 'This isn't just speculation; the Congress party ministers and key leaders have openly acknowledged it.' Telangana is still being looted and needs to prioritise development. 'We have already raised concerns about the RR tax collection in the state. From Rahul Gandhi to Revanth, it appears that everyone is receiving bribes. There seems to be no shortage of funds for corruption, yet the government claims there is no money to fulfil its promises,' she alleged. The Telangana BJP is committed to fighting until this corrupt regime is dismantled, she added. Turning her ire on the State Cabinet meeting held on Thursday, she said, the cabinet met and discussions lasted five hours. 'All exepcted the meeting would address and resolve several issues faced by the people and the state. However, when state employees requested five pending dearness allowances (DAs), they were given only one. This is another instance of cheating government employees. Does the Chief Minister not feel ashamed? If the government is honest, it would immediately release the remaining DAs owed to employees,' she said. 'The decision to form a Healthcare Trust appears to be misleading employees; we want action, not empty promises,' she said. D K Aruna said contractors are hesitant to bid for development works in the state, and the condition of roads has deteriorated significantly. Development works in the state are predominantly funded by the central government. While the state government now claims it will build roads—which is a positive step—contracts should be awarded to those who lost contracts in the past. However, the BJP MP took strong exception for bringing contractors from neighbouring states who are being favoured to settle pending bills, 'neglecting local contractors who have already incurred losses. Pending bills should be released without requiring a percentage cut,' she demanded. 'Furthermore, a public referendum should be held regarding the Alampur ethanol factory. Setting up such industries without proper approval creates issues that have to be addressed. The government should engage in dialogue with farmers about these initiatives. The focus should be on irrigation project works statewide, especially reviewing the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Detailed Project Report (DPR). It is known that the capacity of the Guden Doddi under Nettempadu is set to be increased, which will not be beneficial. Reservoirs should be built by sourcing water from the Jurala,' she added.
Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Carlsen claims 7th Norway Chess title; rail link that bridges Jammu and Kashmir Valley; Housefull 5 review
Good morning! Magnus Carlsen won the Norway Chess 2025 title Friday evening, edging out recently anointed world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Fabiano Caruana at the finish line. The world no. 1 claimed his seventh Norway Chess victory with a draw against Arjun Erigaisi, while Caruana defeated Gukesh in their final encounter. This result pushed Gukesh into third place in the final standings. Train to Kashmir: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Katra-Sangaldan stretch of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link on Friday. With this, trains can, for the first time, travel between two regions joined at the hip by more than an ampersand—Jammu and Kashmir. Touted as a remarkable achievement of railway engineering, the direct rail link is viewed as a game-changer that can revolutionise trade, tourism, and the economy of the UT. 272 km, 27 stations, 38 tunnels, 931 bridges — and a gap closed: Among the several firsts of the milestone USBRL project is the 359-metre-high Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge. L Prakash was responsible for laying the roads as the Chief Engineer of the Konkan Railways then. Now an Executive Director, he called it a 'classic case of one step forward and two steps backwards'. Lives along the (rail) line: With the Katra-Sangaldan stretch of Kashmir's rail link now open, trains can finally connect the Valley to the rest of the country. Dheeraj Mishra and Gajendra Yadav travel to stations new and old, from Katra to Baramulla, to see what changes for the people there when a train makes a stop. Match-fixing Maharashtra: 'The people of India have a right to be assured that no records have been or will be trashed,' writes Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. With the November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections case in point, the Congress leader terms match-fixed elections as 'a poison for any democracy'. In his column for The Indian Express, he elaborates on the 5 steps —from fake voters to concealing evidence trail— of the playbook, which he believes, led to the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance's landslide victory in the state. The fifth installment of ensemble Bollywood comedy Housefull 5 hit the theatres. Critic Shubhra Gupta resorted to penning a dialogue between herself and her brain to review it, with the latter asking 'don't you know when to stop?' Gupta writes that 'compared to the previous Housefulls, this one has a slightly fuller house, but because no one expects anything else, it's pretty much like the older ones.' If that doesn't paint the full picture for you, here's more on this Akshay Kumar-starrer which maintains the franchise's signature chaos but is 'yet another loud, formulaic farce'. Until next time Vibha Vibha B Madhava is a sub-editor at the news desk for She is interested in writing about gender, culture and politics of ableism. Having specialised in digital journalism, she is keen to explore various forms of interactive, multimedia storytelling. Apart from that, she also likes to experiment with social media. Qualification, Degrees/other achievements: Bachelor's degree in Media and Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. PG Diploma in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. With The Indian Express, this is Vibha's first stint in pursuing journalism in a full-time capacity. Previous internship experience: Deccan Herald, Bengaluru; The News Minute, Bengaluru; The Mojo Story; Radio Indigo 91.9 and Fever FM 94.3 (Hyderabad) You can find her on Twitter as @VibhaBMadhava , on LinkedIn (Vibha B Madhava), or write to her at ... Read More
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Siddaramaiah's political secretary dismissed, ADGP intel shunted out
A day after the suspension of top police officials in connection with the June 4 stampede at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Karnataka government on Friday dismissed MLC K Govindaraj from the post of Political Secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The decision, though not officially linked to the incident, appears to be part of a broader damage control exercise by the government. An official notification issued by the Chief Minister's Office said, 'The appointment of K Govindaraj as Political Secretary to the Chief Minister is hereby revoked with immediate effect.' Govindaraj, a key political aide to Siddaramaiah and a prominent figure in Karnataka's sports circles, was closely associated with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebrations that ended in tragedy, with 11 people dead and over 50 injured in a stampede outside the stadium. Although the government has not publicly cited reasons for the move, officials suggest that the decision followed growing criticism of Govindaraj's involvement in the event and the surfacing of a letter he wrote on June 4. In the letter, addressed to government departments, Govindaraj had requested 'arrangements for a big celebration for the RCB team in Bengaluru on Tuesday.' The letter has reportedly caused embarrassment to the Chief Minister's Office. Earlier in the day, Govindaraj distanced himself from the controversy, denying reports that he had advised the Chief Minister against a full-fledged victory parade from the airport to Vidhana Soudha. 'Who am I to advise the Chief Minister?' he said, adding, 'I would be the last person to advise anything on cricket, since I head the Karnataka Olympic Association.' A sports administrator and the current president of the Karnataka Olympic Association, Govindaraj's sacking follows closely on the heels of the abrupt resignation of LK Atheeq, the Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, earlier this week. Both exits have further fuelled speculation that the government is struggling to contain the fallout from the deadly crowd surge. On the same day, the government also transferred Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Intelligence, Hemant M Nimbalkar. He, however, continues to hold charge as ADGP and Commissioner, Department of Information and Public Relations. Opposition parties criticised the government's recent actions, calling them reactive and politically motivated. Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra accused the Congress-led government of acting only under public and political pressure. 'The state government has acted only after coming under pressure… Action has been taken against RCB and the Karnataka Cricket Association. The Chief Minister suddenly suspended senior police officers, including the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, and five other officials,' Vijayendra said.
