BENGALURU: Members of the BJP staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in connection with the stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium here, which claimed 11 lives.
They demanded that the government pay compensation of Rs 1 crore, while BJP legislators themselves have resolved to hand over a month’s salary to the victims’ family members. Ashoka also demanded that the state government call for a special session to discuss the issue.
Ashoka said the government ignored police advice and the Congress leaders violated law. He alleged that had Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar not engaged in a power struggle, students would not have lost their lives.
“Instead of consoling the families, they were focused on securing a trophy. The police had informed them of the first death by noon. Eight children had already died when the event began, yet the programme continued, showing that these leaders have hearts of stone,” he accused.
Further, Ashoka allleged that on June 4, 2025, Vidhana Soudha police wrote to the Chief Secretary, clearly stating that the event was organised in haste, and due to staff shortage, security arrangements would be compromised.
“Police had instructed that department staff and their families should not attend, yet families were present,” he added. Further, Ashoka said instructions for CCTV cameras were ignored, and drones were used despite prohibition. The directive to limit the stage to 20-30 people was completely violated, with 200 people, including 11 players being present,” he said.