The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government, holding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar responsible for the stampede that claimed 11 lives near Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The party has demanded both leaders resign immediately, alleging a breakdown in coordination and crowd management.
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Thousands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) supporters had gathered outside the stadium to welcome their team after its historic IPL title win. What began as a celebratory moment turned tragic as overcrowding spiraled into chaos, leading to a deadly stampede that also left 33 injured.
State -sponsored murder: R Ashoka
Senior BJP leader R Ashoka alleged that a turf war between the chief minister and his deputy had contributed to the confusion. “This is nothing short of state-sponsored murder,” Ashoka said in a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter). “There’s growing suspicion that the internal tussle for credit between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar led to this disaster,” he added.
Ashoka criticised Deputy CM Shivakumar—who also handles the Bengaluru city portfolio—for skipping on-ground responsibilities. “He should have been at the venue overseeing preparations. Instead, he was busy posing for photos at the airport,” he alleged. “The police were clueless until the last minute on whether a victory parade would happen. Basic emergency arrangements like ambulances and fire engines were also missing despite knowing the crowd would be huge.”
{{/usCountry}}Ashoka criticised Deputy CM Shivakumar—who also handles the Bengaluru city portfolio—for skipping on-ground responsibilities. “He should have been at the venue overseeing preparations. Instead, he was busy posing for photos at the airport,” he alleged. “The police were clueless until the last minute on whether a victory parade would happen. Basic emergency arrangements like ambulances and fire engines were also missing despite knowing the crowd would be huge.”
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Echoing similar sentiments, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra called the tragedy a "government-manufactured stampede" and demanded accountability from the state’s top leadership. “Eleven innocent people are dead and dozens injured because of administrative failure. The CM and Deputy CM must step down,” Patra said.
He also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning his silence on the matter. “Rahul Gandhi never misses a chance to criticise India or the Prime Minister. But where is he now? Will he take action against his own party leaders in Karnataka?” Patra asked, suggesting that Gandhi summon both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar and seek their resignations.
Meanwhile, the DK Shivakumar asked BJP to not politicize such sensitive issues and asked them to show empathy towards the families of victims.