Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday defended the decision to go ahead with the event to felicitate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players, despite a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which claimed 11 lives.
“I did not have any connection with the cricket stadium. I was pained by this incident , it should never have happened,” he said upon landing at Mysuru airport.
Siddaramaiah said that the first death occurred at 3:50 pm, but he received confirmation only at 5:45 pm.
He clarified that his attendance was limited to a felicitation event at Vidhana Soudha, to which he was invited by KSCA officials, and that the State government played no part in organising either the stadium event or the celebrations.
Asked about the allegation that the then Bengaluru Police commissioner B Dayananda was made scapegoat, he said, the Commissioner alone has not been suspended, five officers have been suspended, and the intelligence chief has been changed.
"My political secretary K Govindaraj has been removed. We have taken a series of actions, not the police commissioner alone," he added.
Meanwhile, the BJP has demanded the resignation of both the Chief Minister and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, condemning the incident as “criminal negligence” and alleging that the administration shifted blame onto police officers.
Responding to BJP and JD(S) protests that the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede “tarnished Bengaluru’s image,” Siddaramaiah dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
“They are protesting politically, making false allegations and telling lies,” he told reporters.
“BJP and JD(S) demanded a judicial probe, and we have initiated it. We have initiated action on those whose dereliction of duty is found, as per initial reports.”
"Did BJP and JD(S) leaders demand resignation of any when 50 to 60 people died in stampede during Kumbh mela in Uttar Pradesh?
Did they demand PM's resignation when 100 people died after bridge inaugurated by Prime Minister collapsed the same day?" he questioned
