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United News of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Ktk: BJP demands High Court probe in RCB stampede
Bengaluru, June 5 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday demanded a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge and compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the families of each deceased victim in the stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium ahead of IPL winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) victory celebrations. Eleven people died and 33 others were injured on Wednesday in the tragic incident. Launching a scathing attack on the Congress-run Karnataka government, BJP state president Vijayendra Yediyurappa held it "squarely responsible" for the stampede. He said the incident denoted a "criminal failure of governance". Addressing a media conference, Vijayendra accused the Congress government of turning a celebration into a "catastrophe" through its "gross negligence". "This was not an accident — this was avoidable, and it happened because the state government failed in its fundamental duty to protect its people. When over two lakh fans had gathered, there was no crowd management, no police preparedness, and no safety protocol," he said. The BJP leader alleged that while chaos unfolded at the Stadium, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Sivakumar and other cabinet colleagues were busy near the Vidhana Soudha taking selfies with IPL players. 'At a time when deaths were already being reported, ministers were engaged in photo sessions. This is the height of insensitivity,' he remarked. Taking serious objection to the Chief Minister's statement that the tragedy occurred only at the stadium and not near the seat of government, Vijayendra said, 'This is a clear attempt to deflect responsibility. While lakhs gathered for celebrations, the police were deployed to guard the VIP zone around the Vidhana Soudha. The state failed to ensure any security for the masses.' Rejecting the state government's decision to order a magisterial inquiry, he said such probes lack the power to summon senior officials and ministers. 'This is a matter of criminal negligence. A sitting High Court judge must conduct an independent probe. Anything less is a cover-up,' Vijayendra said, adding that the deaths should not be treated as mere 'unnatural deaths' but as a result of administrative recklessness. Vijayendra also raked up the issue of compensation, contrasting the state's earlier announcement of Rs 25 lakh to the family of a man who died in an elephant stampede in Kerala. 'Why not Rs 50 lakh for each family that lost a loved one here in Bengaluru due to the government's failure?' he asked, demanding the government announce the enhanced ex gratia immediately. He further urged the government to reach out to the RCB owners, reportedly based in Dubai or London, so that they also contribute to the relief package for the victims' families. Finally, Vijayendra warned the Congress government against attempting to pin the blame on the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). 'This is not about cricket associations. The state gave the green signal for the event and failed to ensure infrastructure and safety. That is criminal misconduct,' he said. UNI BDN SSP
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Donated ₹25 lakhs to National Herald, says Karnataka deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar
Amid reports of his name figuring in the ED charge sheet in the National Herald case, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday (May 23, 2025) said he and his brother D.K. Suresh have donated money to the Congress-run newspaper. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah backed his deputy, saying there is nothing wrong in donating money. 'Me and D.K. Suresh donated ₹25 lakh each to National Herald. What is wrong in that. We have donated to a newspaper run by our party. What's wrong in that,' Mr. Shivakumar told reporters in Kolhar village in Vijayapura district. He was responding a question by a journalist that his as well as Mr. Suresh's name figures in Enforcement Directorate charge sheet in the National Herald case. When he was told that ₹2.5 crore was donated, he said, "Yes we have given to the Trust. We are not denying it. Did we give it stealthily. No. We have openly given from our income." Asserting that he has donated money, the DCM said he will continue to do the same in future as well. He alleged that there is politics behind mentioning his name in the ED charge sheet. Mr. Shivakumar's brother Mr. Suresh said, "We have donated about ₹2 crore to ₹2.5 crore to the trust. We have answered all the questions raised by the (ED) officers. We are not saying that we have not donated money. We have no information whether donating was wrong." He alleged that the charge sheet has been filed in a manner to fix the Congress leaders. The former MP said the charge sheet was a political gimmick. 'This is not Sonia Gandhi's trust but Young India Trust. We donated to the Young India Trust. This was not an institution for personal gain and it was never used for personal motive,' Mr. Suresh said. To a question, he said the money donated were part of the I-T declaration. Reacting to the ED charge sheet, Mr. Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru, "Is charity wrong? There is nothing wrong in donations."
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Have donated money to National Herald: Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar
Amid reports of his name figuring in the ED charge sheet in the National Herald case, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said he and his brother D K Suresh have donated money to the Congress-run newspaper. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah backed his deputy, saying there is nothing wrong in donating money. "Me and D K Suresh donated Rs 25 lakh each to National Herald. What is wrong in that. We have donated to a newspaper run by our party. What's wrong in that," Shivakumar told reporters in Kolhar village in Vijayapura district. He was responding a question by a journalist that his as well as his brother D K Suresh's name figures in Enforcement Directorate charge sheet in the National Herald case. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. When he was told that Rs 2.5 crore was donated, he said, "Yes we have given to the Trust. We are not denying it. Did we give it stealthily. No. We have openly given from our income." Asserting that he has donated money, the DCM said he will continue to do the same in future as well. Live Events He alleged that there is politics behind mentioning his name in the ED charge sheet. Shivakumar's brother Suresh said, "We have donated about Rs two crore to Rs 2.5 crore to the trust. We have answered all the questions raised by the (ED) officers. We are not saying that we have not donated money. We have no information whether donating was wrong," Suresh said in Bengaluru. He alleged that the charge sheet has been filed in a manner to fix the Congress leaders. The charges which will be questioned in the court, Suresh said. The former MP said the charge sheet was a political gimmick. "This is not Sonia Gandhi's trust but Young India Trust . We donated to the Young India Trust. This was not an institution for personal gain and it was never used for personal motive," Suresh said. To a question, he said the money donated were part of the I-T declaration. Reacting to the ED charge sheet, Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru, "Is charity wrong? There is nothing wrong in donations."
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kaleshwaram project ‘irregularities': KCR, nephew among Telangana ex-ministers summoned by probe panel
The Justice P C Ghose commission, investigating alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project in Telangana, has sent a notice to former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, asking him to appear before it on June 5. Notices were also served to the former CM's nephew Harish Rao, a former irrigation minister; and Etela Rajender, a former finance minister in KCR's Bharat Rashtra Samithi government, who later joined the BJP. While Harish Rao was asked to appear before the commission on June 6, Rajender was summoned on June 9. The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) on the Godavari river in Telangana's Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, across the border from Maharashtra, was designed to supply water for irrigation, as well as for industrial and domestic use over a swath of northern Telangana. Work on the project began in June 2019 when the BRS was in power and KCR was chief minister. The BRS was in power in the state between 2014 and 2023. In February 2024, four months after an incident of flooding at the biggest of the project barrages, the current Congress-run state government asked the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), a statutory body set up under the National Dam Safety Act, for a thorough inspection. The Congress has said that as per the NDSA report, some irregularities have been found in the construction of some of the barrages of the project. Responding to the commission's notice, BRS leader and KCR's daughter K Kavitha wrote on X, 'The notices to KCR garu over the Kaleshwaram project are part of a calculated political conspiracy to tarnish the image of a true people's leader. Kaleshwaram was built for the welfare of farmers and future generations, not for politics. Today, this inefficient Congress government is undoing the very progress Telangana fought for. KCR garu, who has devoted his life to Telangana, transforming barren lands into fields of prosperity, is now being targeted by a visionless regime. No vindictive government can diminish his legacy. The truth will prevail, and history will remember who stood for the people and who tried to bring them down.'
