Bengaluru: Tuesday is shaping up to be a critical day for the Congress-led Karnataka government, as both legal and political pressures mount following the June 4 stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 dead.
The Karnataka High Court is set to take up a suo motu petition regarding the incident, which has sparked widespread criticism and raised serious questions about administrative lapses. Simultaneously, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar have been summoned to New Delhi by the Congress high command for a high-level meeting.
Sources within the party revealed that the two top leaders have been called to brief national leadership, including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal. Their version of events and the state’s response to the tragedy will be closely examined.
Ahead of this, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a high-level meeting on Monday evening with Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara and Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty to deliberate on the legal and political fallout of the incident. With the High Court directly intervening, the government is reportedly anxious about the potential repercussions on its public image.
Party insiders have indicated that the Congress leadership is displeased with the developments, especially given the international attention the stampede has drawn. The situation has exposed lapses not only in crowd control but also in event management, particularly at the Vidhana Soudha function where VIP crowding on stage reportedly went unchecked.
Sources suggest that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may highlight the role of the Bengaluru police during the tragedy in his discussions with the party high command. He is believed to be particularly concerned about the delay in relaying information about the unfolding crisis—reportedly for almost two hours—after the incident began. He may also point to communication gaps between the police and other departments, including the Home Ministry, in the lead-up to the event.
The dismissal of K. Govindraj, the CM’s political secretary, is also being linked to this episode. Sources allege that Govindraj had exerted undue pressure to go ahead with the function despite concerns raised by the police.
Insiders say that the Chief Minister had initially been hesitant to attend the function at Vidhana Soudha but was persuaded after Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials met him earlier that morning.
As the High Court hearing and the Delhi meeting unfold, the Congress government in Karnataka finds itself under dual scrutiny—both from the judiciary and its own party leadership.
