BJP MP Tejasvi Surya Slams Karnataka Govt Over Bengaluru Stampede, Calls It 'Avoidable'
Surya said that the government cannot 'blame RCB, Virat Kohli, or even the fans' for the tragedy.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya criticised the Congress-led Karnataka government regarding the Bengaluru stampede, which resulted in 11 fatalities, describing it as an 'avoidable" tragedy caused by 'state-orchestrated" negligence.
He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of issuing an open invitation to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans without ensuring adequate security and crowd management arrangements, resulting in the loss of lives.
'The stampede was completely avoidable. It was state-orchestrated. Yesterday, the CM put out a tweet giving out an open invitation to everyone, knowing fully well the frenzy of the crowd of fans. He gives this open invitation without making adequate security, safety, and crowd management arrangements," the BJP MP told news agency ANI in Washington, DC.
Surya said that the government cannot 'blame RCB, Virat Kohli, or even the fans" for the tragedy. 'If there is anyone responsible, it is the CM and the DCM who wanted to hog undeserving limelight and made this an entire family function of the Congress leaders," he said.
The BJP MP said that the state government must take responsibility and provide monetary compensation to the families of the deceased, cover expenses of the injured, and generously compensate those who suffered losses. RCB should also stand by its loyal fans in this distressing time.
'Lives that have been lost cannot be brought back. Now, the state government must own up and monetarily compensate the families of those who lost their lives. Some young breadwinners have died in this stampede. The state government must take care of all the expenses of the injured. The government must also compensate generously all the families who have suffered losses," he said.
'No other team enjoys the kind of loyalty and fanfare as the RCB. Bengalurians treat RCB as their own family. We have been there with you in good and bad times, now it's time for RCB to stand up with their fans in times of distress," Surya added.
According to the Karnataka government, 11 people have died and 47 were injured in the stampede, including some who received treatment and went home. A magisterial inquiry has been launched to determine the actual cause of the incident.
Two major factors appear to have contributed to the tragedy: a complete lack of coordination between various agencies, including the law and order police, traffic police, KSCA, and Metro officials, as thousands of people poured into an arena like Chinnaswamy Stadium, which can accommodate only around 32,000 people at a time.
The second was that the crowd's size and behaviour were grossly underestimated as people flooded into the area where the RCB team was being honoured.
Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
First Published:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
9 minutes ago
- Hans India
Clear stand on internal reservation by Aug 16: BJP
Bengaluru: The BJP has urged the Congress-led state government on Tuesday to make its stand clear on the issue of internal reservation by August 16 and warned of a large scale protest if the government fails to reciprocate. Former Union Minister and veteran BJP leader A. Narayanaswamy said: "The Congress-led government in Karnataka must announce a clear decision on internal reservation by August 16. If it fails to do so, we will launch a non-cooperation movement against it after August 16." He was speaking to the media at a workshop organised by the Karnataka Madiga Organisations' Federation at Sir Puttanna Chetty Town Hall in Bengaluru regarding the implementation of the Justice Nagamohan Das report. Narayanaswamy said that going by the overall findings of the reports, reservation for Madigas should be increased from six to seven or eight per cent. He stressed that the state government should not stop at just providing reservation but should also announce special schemes for the community. "In the Common Entrance Test results, Madigas have qualified in very small numbers. Out of 2,500 seats available in state universities, only 600 are taken by students from our community. This reflects our educational condition," he said. He noted that the report recommends internal reservation based on population, and within that population there are 36.69 lakh Madigas. "If another related community is included, the number goes up to 41 lakh. This fact should not be overlooked," he said in response to a query. "If the Cabinet is committed to social justice, it should make an announcement on internal reservation by August 16. Otherwise, no further meetings will be held and agitation will be launched," he declared.
Hans India
9 minutes ago
- Hans India
'Abhi picture baki hai': Rahul on 'vote chori'
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Election Commission of not performing its duty of enforcing the 'one man, one vote' principle and said "abhi picture baki hai", alluding to the claims of irregularities in the voters' list. Gandhi asserted that his party was engaged in protecting the Constitution and would continue to do so. "There is not just one seat (where there is 'vote chori') but there are a number of seats. This is being done at a national level and systematically. The EC knows it and we know it too," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha told reporters in the Parliament House complex. "Earlier, evidence was not there but now the evidence is there. We protect the Constitution. 'One man, one vote' is the foundation of the Constitution," Gandhi said. It is the duty of the EC to enforce 'one man, one vote' and they have not done their duty, Gandhi said. "So we are protecting the Constitution and will continue to do so. We will not stop," he said. Asked about Minta Devi, a 124-year-old voter allegedly listed in the Election Commission's voter list from Bihar, Gandhi said, "There are unlimited cases like that. Abhi picture baki hai." Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also said there were several such cases in which addresses and names of relatives etc. are all fake. Earlier in the day, several MPs of the INDIA bloc parties held a protest in the Parliament House complex on Tuesday against the Election Commission's voter roll revision in Bihar, with many of them wearing white T-shirts that had the name of the "124-year-old voter" allegedly found on the state's voters' list emblazoned on it. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, TMC's Derek O'Brien, DMK's TR Baalu, NCP(SP)'s Supriya Sule, as well as other opposition MPs from DMK and Left parties, gathered near Parliament's Makar Dwar. They held posters and raised slogans, demanding a rollback of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Several MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi, were seen wearing white T-shirts with 'Minta Devi' and her photo emblazoned on it and '124 Not Out' written at the back. Congress' Manickam Tagore alleged that the EC under Rajeev Kumar and Gyanesh Kumar has become a department of the BJP. "Minta Devi is a first time voter and she is 124-years-old. The voters list carries her name as a first time voter. We are wanting a discussion on such issues. How EC has become a party to the BJP. The voter list is full of such fraud," he charged while participating in the protest. There has been a logjam in Parliament over the SIR in Bihar. Barring discussions on Operation Sindoor in the two Houses, Parliament has seen little business ever since the Monsoon session began on July 21 due to repeated adjournments, mostly over the SIR issue.
Hindustan Times
9 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Ajit Pawar slams move to ban meat on Independence Day, says ‘it is not right'
After the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) issued an order banning the sale of meat on Independence Day recently, on Tuesday, civic bodies of Malegaon, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nagpur followed suit. One would have understood the ban if it were on the day of Ashadhi Ekadashi or Mahavir Jayanti. But when there is no such occasion, why should meat shops be forced to remain closed, Pawar questioned.(ANI Grab for representation) While the move generated criticism from the Opposition, with Shiv Sena (UBT) indicating that it was an 'imposition of vegetarianism', members of the ruling alliance were divided in their responses – while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) questioned it, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spoke up in its support, pointing out that past regimes had implemented similar bans. After the three cities issued the notice on Tuesday, deputy chief minister and head of NCP, Ajit Pawar said: 'It is not right to close meat shops on days such as Independence Day, Republic Day or Maharashtra Day.' Pawar argued that since the days are not marked for religious festivals, sentiments will not be hurt, and also pointed out how certain communities in the Konkan belt are known to prepare delicacies comprising vegetables mixed with dry fish. 'One would have understood the ban if it were on the day of Ashadhi Ekadashi or Mahavir Jayanti. But when there is no such occasion, why should meat shops be forced to remain closed? People have been consuming vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food in our country for centuries,' he said, adding that 'those in rural parts and tribal communities actually enjoy non-vegetarian food on holidays.' Affirming that he will eat non-vegetarian food on August 15, Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said, 'The municipal commissioners should be suspended. They have no authority to tell people what they should eat. What will those from communities such as Agari and Koli, who eat non-vegetarian food regularly, do? In several Hindu communities such as our own, during Navratri, we offer non-vegetarian food to Goddess Durga.' He questioned the 'imposition of vegetarianism on Maharashtra when Hinduism gives people the option to choose their own food groups'. While Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Bala Nandgaonkar appealed to the government to 'withdraw the decision', Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar called it the government's ploy 'to divert people's attention from crucial issues such as poor condition of roads, traffic jams and pollution'. In its response to NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad's claim a couple of days ago that he will protest the ban by throwing a meat party, and Thackeray's attack, BJP put out a state government order dated May 12, 1988, which empowered all municipal corporations to close meat shops on Independence Day, Mahavir Jayanti etc. BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban posted on X: 'It was during the Congress regime in 1988 that meat shops were closed on Independence Day. Moreover, during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in 2021 the Nagpur Municipal Corporation issued a similar order to be followed on Independence Day. Why were these leaders quiet at that time, and are stoking controversy now?'
