Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday acknowledged that the stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured, could have been avoided with better planning and coordination.
“Yes, there has been a mistake. A crowd of two to three lakh people turned up while the stadium could accommodate only 35,000. Despite our efforts, we were unable to manage the crowd effectively,” Kharge told reporters. He added that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had taken responsibility and assured that corrective steps would be taken.
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The stampede occurred on Wednesday during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory. The event drew massive crowds after the state government announced it would be open to the public.
Kharge also accused the BJP of politicising the incident. He referred to earlier criticism by the BJP, which had objected to the government calling off a victory parade on an open bus citing logistical challenges. “BJP's constant politicisation of issues is not healthy,” he said.
Watch his statement here:
{{/usCountry}}Kharge also accused the BJP of politicising the incident. He referred to earlier criticism by the BJP, which had objected to the government calling off a victory parade on an open bus citing logistical challenges. “BJP's constant politicisation of issues is not healthy,” he said.
Watch his statement here:
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, several BJP leaders held the state government accountable. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy described the tragedy as a “complete failure” of the administration. “Everyone knew a massive crowd would gather after RCB's win. Still, no adequate security or traffic measures were in place,” he said.
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy also criticised Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, blaming the incident on “impatience, immaturity, and irresponsibility.”
Shivakumar, who was present at the event, apologised for the incident. “We did not expect such a large crowd... More than 3 lakh people showed up and the stadium gates were broken. We apologise for this. We will investigate and take corrective action,” he said. He also announced the postponement of all state events, including World Environment Day celebrations.
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