- Stampede Tragedy at RCB’s Victory Celebration Sparks Political Firestorm in Karnataka
- Opposition blames CM, DCM for mismanagement; demands resignation
Bengaluru witnessed a tragic turn of events on Wednesday evening when a stampede near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, during celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) historic IPL victory, claimed multiple lives and left dozens injured. What began as a joyous occasion for lakhs of fans turned into chaos, prompting sharp criticism of the Karnataka government’s handling of the event.
Several political voices have strongly condemned the state leadership, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative called the tragedy a “government-sponsored massacre.” He allege that the absence of proper crowd control measures, unclear communication between departments, and political one-upmanship led to the disaster.
He questioned the role of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who, instead of overseeing the arrangements at the stadium, was seen welcoming the RCB team at HAL airport. He argued that the lack of clarity, even until the last minute, on whether a public celebration would occur left the police and civic authorities unprepared.
He alleged that there was the complete absence of emergency services near the stadium despite the massive turnout. No ambulances or fire and rescue vehicles were stationed at the site, raising serious concerns about the government’s readiness.
Opposition leader has demanded that both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar take moral responsibility and resign. “If they have even an ounce of humanity or conscience left, they should step down immediately,” a statement read.
Leaders who visited the injured at hospitals expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and insisted that the government must immediately provide compensation to the victims’ families and ensure quality treatment for the injured.
They further demanded a judicial or magisterial inquiry into the incident, claiming the tragedy was avoidable and caused by the government’s “thoughtless and hurried” decision to organize a large-scale celebration without adequate safety planning.
