BENGALURU: The Opposition BJP on Thursday tore into the state government’s handling of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations that resulted in a stampede, claiming 11 lives, and demanded an inquiry by a sitting judge of the Karnataka High Court.
The BJP leaders questioned if the magisterial probe by a Deputy Commissioner will be impartial when allegations are made against the government, the Chief Minister, and the Deputy Chief Minister.
Addressing a press conference with senior BJP leaders, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar are directly responsible for the stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium and its surroundings.
“We will not accept an investigation by the Deputy Commissioner. The investigation must be conducted under the supervision of a High Court judge, and an SIT should be formed. The report must be submitted directly to the HC. Those responsible must be punished,” Ashoka said, demanding that both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar take moral responsibility and resign.
Ashoka asked how can DCs, who work under the CM, conduct an impartial investigation, and it is impossible to believe that the officers would honestly investigate the government’s lapses. Only a judicial probe can deliver justice to the innocent lives and their parents, he said.
The BJP leader said the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium was a government-sponsored tragedy, which occurred due to the Congress leaders’ mistake of trying to capitalise on someone else’s success. Taking a dig at Shivakumar, the BJP leader said those who took selfies at the airport did not visit the homes of the victims.
Ashoka said innocent youth were sacrificed for the ministers’ photoshoots and the event should have been cancelled immediately upon learning of the deaths. The BJP leader reiterated that people died in the stampede at 3.45 pm and 4.38 pm, even before the event had started, but ministers and their families were busy taking photos with cricketers.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra and former CM and MP Basavaraj Bommai also demanded an inquiry by sitting HC judges.
Hitting out at Shivakumar, Vijayendra said even as TV channels were reporting the death toll as 5-6, the DCM was seen kissing the cup at Chinnaswamy Stadium and the ruling party leaders were busy taking selfies in Vidhana Soudha.
Bommai said if the government had any sense of shame, dignity, or morality, those responsible should resign immediately. “If a government cannot manage a cricket celebration properly, how can it govern the entire state?” he questioned.
These deaths should not be in vain. This incident has brought shame to Karnataka. During the World Cup victory celebration in Mumbai, a 25-km procession was held without any untoward incident, he said.