Bengaluru, June 4 (UNI) Confusion and grief loomed large over Bengaluru on Wednesday after a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory celebrations claimed multiple lives, with the state government yet to confirm the toll, while the Opposition claimed at least 11 deaths.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar appealed for calm and said the exact number of casualties was still being ascertained. “We are working on getting the correct figures,” he told reporters. “I have spoken to the Police Commissioner and senior officials. I’m visiting the hospital shortly, but didn’t want to disrupt medical teams already attending to patients.”
Shivakumar attributed the tragedy to an overwhelming crowd turnout and said the state government had cut short the celebrations out of caution. “We wrapped it up within 10 minutes, with just one round,” he said, adding that metro services were also temporarily suspended to manage the situation.
The minister acknowledged the massive turnout and said the government was taking time to restore normalcy.
However, the BJP seized on the incident to mount a scathing attack on the Congress government.
Karnataka BJP President Vijayendra Yediyurappa held the administration directly responsible, alleging that it rushed into organising the rally without proper planning and prioritised publicity over safety.
"The state government must take full responsibility," Vijayendra said. "More than 11 people have died, and several others are in critical condition, some in the ICU. This tragedy is a direct result of the government's negligence."
Vijayendra said he had spoken to one of the victims, who claimed there was no police presence or ambulance facility at the venue. "The injured had to rush themselves to Bowring Hospital," he said.
Calling it a "serious lapse", Vijayendra demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah take moral responsibility and refer the matter for a judicial inquiry. “Let the CM decide who must be held accountable—but it must go before a judicial forum,” he asserted.
The incident has sparked widespread public outrage and drawn scrutiny over the state’s preparedness for a high-profile public event, with the discrepancy in casualty figures adding to the anxiety.
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