Bengaluru stampede: Shadow-boxing between CM & Dy CM reason for tragedy, says Opposition leader Ashoka

Opposition leader in the Assembly R Ashoka on Wednesday pointed fingers at the “shadow boxing” between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar for the confusion leading to the tragic stampede in Bengaluru.

The BJP leader, in a statement said, the competition between the two leaders to claim credit for the RCB’s win of the IPL was responsible for the mishap, while calling the deaths a government sponsored murder. He said the Dy CM rushed to the airport to take photographs with the players instead of supervising the arrangements in Bengaluru, and the police were also clueless about the procession. There were no ambulances or fire brigades at the stadium, he said.

Ashoka demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation to the families of the deceased and must fully bear the treatment cost of the injured.


BJP state president BY Vijayendra demanded a judicial inquiry into the stampede deaths and a compensation of Rs 25 to each of the families of the deceased. He said 11 people paid up with their lives as the government held and allowed the events without any planning. Hundreds, he said, had been hospitalized. When people were suffering in the crowds, the CM, ministers and children of officers were busy gathering autographs of players, he said.

“Stampede-like scenes during RCB’s victory celebrations are not just tragic, they are a damning indictment of the Congress government,” he said in a post on X. He wondered if the CM reviewed the plans and Dy CM supervised medical and police deployment.

“Mumbai hosted a massive World Cup parade without a single stampede. So why did Bengaluru fail? Because in Karnataka, Congress cares more about publicity than public safety. The fans of RCB and the people of Karnataka deserve the answers. Therefore, I urge the government to order a judicial inquiry and fix accountability for this avoidable tragedy.

Union Heavy Industry & Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy blamed the government. The primary reason for this massive tragedy is the lack of proper planning and complete failure to take precautionary measures. The state government, led by the Congress, must take full responsibility for this disaster.” It is extremely painful to see innocent lives lost even before the celebrations could begin,” he said in a statement.