Hyderabad Police received severe criticism over its tweet about crowd control during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations in the city. The X post, shared after the Bengaluru stampede incident, was slammed and labelled “tone deaf.”
“In the RCB’s IPL victory celebrations over 20,000 people gathered from Secretariat road to IMAX circle which led to a massive traffic jam. Ambulances were stuck and the public faced inconvenience. But the Hyderabad City Police responded swiftly & firmly, and averted a potential stampede situation and safeguarded many lives. The Telangana State Police and Hyderabad City Police remain committed to ensuring public safety at all times,” the department wrote.
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What happened in Bengaluru?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory celebrations outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium turned into a tragedy after a stampede-like situation claimed 11 lives, leaving several injured.
A fan in the crowd, who witnessed the incident up close, recalled, “There was absolutely no crowd control. People were just pouring in without even showing passes. The barricades had been trampled, people were climbing onto trees, and the area was littered with abandoned footwear.”
{{/usCountry}}A fan in the crowd, who witnessed the incident up close, recalled, “There was absolutely no crowd control. People were just pouring in without even showing passes. The barricades had been trampled, people were climbing onto trees, and the area was littered with abandoned footwear.”
{{/usCountry}}Hyderabad Police's tweet left people irritated, with many claiming that it was insensitive. One individual posted, “Attention seeking much?” Another added, “There is a difference between 20,000 and 2-3 lakh people.”
A third shared, “What's this?? A competition now??” A fourth wrote, “Is it a time to post?”
Also Read: RCB deletes celebratory video post after internet outrage over Bengaluru stampede
What caused the stampede?
“There are small gates. The people entered through the gates. They have also broken the gates, so a stampede has taken place. Nobody had expected so much of a crowd to come. Prima facie, it looks like that. I am not saying nothing has happened. The inquiry will bring out facts,” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said while addressing the incident.
Bengaluru Police makes arrest:
On Friday, Bengaluru Police detained Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), in connection with the stampede. Reportedly, three members of the organisers of the victory celebrations were also arrested by the cops.