E-Paper
‘Bengaluru lost its image, BJP playing politics on dead bodies’: DK Shivakumar on stampede
As per the Karnataka government, a total of 11 people were killed and several were left injured in the incident.
Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that Bengaluru has "lost its image" after the death of 11 people in a stampede.
On Wednesday, celebrations for the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore turned deadly after a large gathering of fans outside the Chinnaswamy stadium turned into a stampede. According to the Karnataka government, a total of 11 people were killed and at least 33 sustained injuries.
BJP targets Congress over stampede
Following the incident, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party blamed the state government for its "negligence and mismanagement" of the event.
The BJP and JD(S) have alleged that the Siddaramaiah government carried out the felicitation ceremony without prior permission from the police.
In response to these allegations, the Karnataka deputy CM accused the opposition parties of playing “politics.”
"I don't want to react to any of these BJP guys. I am only answerable to the people of Karnataka and the people of the country. All BJP persons are nonsense... They are also the masterminds of these dirty things," the Congress leader told PTI.
The deputy chief minister also accused the BJP and JD(S) of playing politics on the "dead bodies of victims."
ALSO READ | Bengaluru stampede: BCCI ducks blame, CM cites Kumbh Mela as BJP targets Karnataka govt
"We are deeply hurt. The victims are our own family. The image of Karnataka, the image of Bengaluru...Yes, we take it (responsibility). We are not blaming others, though it has happened very unexpectedly. No one expected such a crowd. After 18 years (of waiting for RCB's victory), I don't know what was boiling in the youngsters, and they all came. That is debatable...things have happened," he said.
"Now let us be part of the grief. We want to respect the deceased. My CM is also shocked, my home minister is also shocked, and the entire state is shocked. The state is mourning over this," Shivakumar added.
(With inputs from PTI)
