Bengaluru Stampede: Siddaramaiah rejects calls for accountability

Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday rejected calls for political accountability for the deaths of 11 persons in a stampede outside Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday, insisting that the government had no role in the event and asking whether anyone had resigned over the deaths during the recent Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh.

The CM accused the BJP of playing politics over the issue and denied it had left a black mark on the Congress regime as it completed two years in office. Speaking to media persons in Mysuru, he also denied suggestions that the Congress high command had sought a report on the matter.

The government was not embarrassed by the incident as the government committed no mistake, he said, even as he added that he was pained by the tragedy that occurred during the RCB's IPL victory celebrations, and blamed negligence by the police for the congestion around the stadium.


Siddaramaiah rejected allegations that police commissioner B Dayananda had been made a scapegoat, He said the government had taken a series of steps including suspension of five police officers, transfer of intelligence chief and firing of his political secretary K Govindaraju.

The CM said the matter of permission to hold the felicitation event on the steps of Vidhana Soudha did not come to him for clearance, but he okayed it when officials informed him about it. The event was not organised by the government, but he attended along with the Governor on an invitation by the organisers. "I am not responsible for the event organised at the stadium," he said, distancing himself from the celebrations at the stadium.

Not aware of deaths till 5.45 pm

The first death was recorded at a hospital at 3.50 pm, but he came to know about it only at 5.45 pm, the CM said, expressing his displeasure over the way the police handled the security.

In response to a query, he said the government would examine if the cricket stadium could be shifted to a site outside of Bengaluru. The government would look for a suitable location outside, he said.