Bengaluru, June 10 (UNI) In a twist to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) felicitation event, Raj Bhavan on Tuesday issued a statement that contradicts Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim of having “no role” in the programme.
The Governor’s office confirmed that the Chief Minister personally invited the Governor to the state-hosted function at Vidhana Soudha on June 4, where IPL 2025 champions RCB were honoured.
The disclosure by Raj Bhavan contradicts government's defence in the wake of the stampede that occurred later that evening outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier sought to distance his administration from the event, stating, "it was not organised by the government. I was merely an invitee. The Governor was also invited. I was not invited to the programme at the stadium.”
However, Raj Bhavan’s statement has now exposed contradictions in that narrative. “The Chief Minister officially invited the Governor to participate in the Vidhana Soudha event to felicitate RCB players,” the Governor’s office stated.
The Governor had initially planned to host the RCB team at Raj Bhavan, but on reaching out to the Chief Secretary for coordination, was informed that the state government would be hosting the event at Vidhana Soudha.
Further raising eyebrows is the fact that the Karnataka government went ahead with the event despite clear warnings from the police about potential crowd-related risks.
Later that evening, the situation spiralled out of control as thousands of fans gathered at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, resulting in a stampede that killed 11 people.
Siddaramaiah has maintained that the tragedy was not linked to any state-organised event. “Our government has taken the stampede case seriously,” he said, while accusing the BJP and JD(S) of politicising the incident.
However, critics argue that the state’s decision to hold a high-profile function at Vidhana Soudha, involving top players and public figures, may have fueled fan enthusiasm and led to the deadly overflow of crowds toward the stadium.
With Raj Bhavan’s intervention, the controversy has taken a sharp political turn. Opposition leaders have accused the Chief Minister of misleading the public and attempting to wash his hands off the tragedy.
“This is no longer just about a celebration gone wrong. It’s about accountability, transparency, and truth,” an opposition spokesperson said.
As the political heat intensifies and grieving families await justice, the Raj Bhavan's statement has cast serious doubts on the Karnataka government's version of events. The Opposition is likely to demand further disclosures and possibly a judicial probe into the incident and the state’s handling of the event.
UNI BDN PRS