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Siddaramaiah distances government from tragedy, says DPAR gave only conditional nod for Vidhana Soudha event.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah denies official link to stadium stampede, says action taken despite delay in receiving information. (IMAGE: NEWS18)
The Siddaramaiah government has taken a defensive but firm stance on the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, stating that no untoward incident occurred within the Vidhana Soudha premises and accusing the opposition of exploiting the tragedy for political gain.
“Our government has taken the stampede case seriously,” said the Karnataka Chief Minister, dismissing opposition demands for accountability and accusing the BJP and JD(S) of politicising the incident.
Siddaramaiah maintained that the stampede during the RCB victory celebrations was not officially linked to the government.
“I maintain this now as well – this incident shouldn’t have happened. But where did it happen? Near the cricket stadium. I have no role in what happened at the cricket stadium,” he said, distancing himself from the tragedy.
Regarding his presence at the felicitation event, Siddaramaiah explained that the Secretary and Treasurer of KSCA had invited him to Vidhana Soudha.
“It was not organised by the government. I was merely an invitee. The Governor was also invited. I was not invited to the programme at the stadium,” he said.
When questioned about the warning letter sent to DPAR Secretary G Sathyavathi by DCP (Vidhana Soudha Security) M N Karibasavana Gowda, Siddaramaiah stated that the event at Vidhana Soudha had received conditional permission from the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms and that crowd management was the police’s responsibility.
In his letter sent on the morning of 4 June, the DCP had warned that “lakhs of cricket fans are likely to come to Vidhana Soudha” and highlighted a shortage of security personnel to manage the anticipated crowd.
Siddaramaiah reiterated that no incident occurred inside the Vidhana Soudha and said the government acted swiftly upon being informed of the situation.
“The stampede did not happen at a government event. Yet we acted immediately. The BJP and JD(S) are levelling politically motivated allegations,” he said.
Following the incident, six senior police officers – including four IPS officers – have been suspended. The state’s Intelligence Chief has been removed, and the Chief Minister’s Political Secretary, Govindaraju, who sources suggest had advocated for the event at Vidhana Soudha, has been dismissed. A judicial inquiry led by Justice Michael D Cunha has been ordered, and a separate Special Investigation Team within the CID is investigating the incident. Four officials of RCB and event management firm DNA have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
According to the Chief Minister, the government learned of the incident almost two hours after the injured were taken to hospital.
“The victims were admitted at 3.50 pm. I received the message only at 5.45 pm. The police failed to communicate details about arrangements. It is clear there was a serious lapse on their part,” he said. Government sources added that this delay, coupled with the failure to issue a written denial of permission for the stadium celebration, were key reasons for the suspensions.
The Chief Minister also addressed concerns about the stadium’s suitability. He said the government would consider whether the Chinnaswamy Stadium should be relocated or upgraded.
“This incident has hurt the government. Such tragedies should not happen under any regime,” he said.
He countered BJP criticism, accusing the party of double standards.
“They’re now demanding resignations. But when 50-60 people died in the Kumbh Mela stampede, did the Prime Minister resign? When a bridge collapsed in Uttar Pradesh on the day it was inaugurated by him, did they demand resignations?” he asked.
Siddaramaiah also accused the BJP of hypocrisy.
“They first wrote to us saying RCB had fulfilled a long-cherished dream and criticised us for not allowing an open-top parade. Now they’re targeting us over the same event. This is a duplicitous stance,” he said.
He insisted that the government had nothing to be ashamed of.
“We took legal action where necessary. There is no question of embarrassment. The government acted seriously and responsibly,” he said.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
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