Bengaluru, June 5 (UNI) Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Thursday wrote to the Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court accusing the Congress-led administration of attempting a "cover-up" in the wake of the deadly stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here ahead of IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) victory celebrations.

Claiming that the state was “whitewashing the role of the government and shielding the officers responsible for this catastrophic mismanagement," he said the incident was “a direct consequence of gross negligence, mismanagement, and administrative failure.”

Wednesday's tragedy, which claimed at least 11 lives and left more than 45 injured, has triggered national outrage.

While grief has gripped the state, Karandlaje’s letter to the Acting Chief Justice demanded a suo motu judicial intervention.

The minister slammed the state government for failing to anticipate the massive turnout — estimated to be over two lakh — and not having in place any crowd control measures, emergency medical facilities, or ambulance support.

“The stampede-like situation that erupted around 4:45 pm near multiple gates of the stadium was not a mere accident. It was the product of systemic collapse,” she wrote, citing that more than 20 critically injured victims are currently being treated at Bowring, Lady Curzon, and Vydehi Super Speciality Hospitals.

He also sharply criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s public statement that his government had only organised the felicitation at Vidhana Soudha — not the stadium gathering — as a “blatant attempt to evade accountability.”

“This disowning of responsibility amounts to a blatant attempt at whitewashing the role of the government and shielding the officers responsible for this catastrophic mismanagement,” Karandlaje wrote, describing it as a “cover-up intended to grant a clean chit to the very machinery that failed the people.”

She also took aim at the state-ordered magisterial probe, stating that a Deputy Commissioner reporting to the same government cannot conduct an “impartial or independent” investigation. “It lacks public credibility and cannot be trusted to deliver justice,” the letter added.

Karandlaje urged the Karnataka High Court to take up the matter as a case of public interest under its extraordinary jurisdiction and initiate a judicial inquiry.

“This is not just an accident. It is the consequence of systemic failure and the complete collapse of state responsibility. Only the timely intervention of this Hon’ble Court can uphold justice and restore public faith in governance and the rule of law,” she concluded. UNI BDN SSP