States » SouthPosted at: Jun 23 2025 1:30PM


Stampede probe rigged: Kumar Bangarappa

Bengaluru, June 23 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and former minister Kumar Bangarappa on Monday launched a sharp and sweeping attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government, accusing it of shielding top ministers and senior bureaucrats in an alleged cover-up of irregularities linked to IPL-related events, while selectively targeting lower-level police officers.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Bangarappa said the government’s conduct reflected a complete breakdown in governance, institutional accountability, and commitment to justice.
Bangarappa alleged that while police officials had been hastily suspended and interrogated in connection with the IPL-linked event scandal, the real decision-makers — including key ministers and department secretaries — had been protected from scrutiny.

“From the very start of the event to its execution, senior government functionaries were personally involved. They flagged it off, handled logistics, and even received cheques. Yet, they have escaped action. Instead, the government chose to make a few police officials scapegoats,” he said, adding that some of the actions taken were “extra-legal” and appeared to be politically motivated.
He questioned the rationale behind asking Deputy Commissioners, who themselves come under the law-and-order structure, to head investigations. This, he said, was both a conflict of interest and a grave procedural error. He also criticised the role of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), alleging that its progress lacked transparency and credibility.
Bangarappa went on to denounce the government's performance across the board, asserting that the state machinery was in a state of collapse. He said that Gram Panchayats had not received funds even for basic works like pothole repairs and that key departments such as Public Works, Irrigation, and Railways had failed to obtain necessary clearances.

“There is no financial clarity, no administrative planning. The education system is in disarray. Even the Deputy Chief Minister has admitted that only God can fix the potholes of Bengaluru. If that is the state of our leadership, what hope do people have?” he asked.
He said the government’s much-publicised upcoming ‘Sadhana Samavesha’, intended to showcase its achievements, was nothing more than a collection of cover-ups and failures. “Two years of governance have resulted in derailment and delays. There’s no progress, only deception,” Bangarappa said.
On rural issues, Bangarappa highlighted the worsening plight of farmers, saying that early monsoons had devastated summer crops like mango, and market prices had plummeted. He acknowledged that some reservoirs had received good inflow but said that had not translated into any meaningful relief for farmers, who remain in distress.
He also expressed concern over the larger geopolitical tensions arising from the Israel-Iran conflict, stating that it had begun to severely affect India and Karnataka.

Bangarappa said India’s import and export routes had been disrupted, and that thousands of Indian students and workers, including a significant number of Kannadigas, had been forced to return. Their families were under strain, and no structured support had been extended to them, he said.

He warned that with the United States now entering the conflict, the world risked tipping into a Third World War and urged the Union government to intensify diplomatic efforts.
In one of the more startling revelations, Bangarappa said the state was witnessing a significant increase in illegal immigration, particularly in Bengaluru and the coffee estate regions of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru.

He claimed that around 17,000 to 18,000 suspected illegal immigration cases had been identified and that estimates suggested between one to 1.5 lakh unregistered migrant workers were employed in those two districts alone.

This, he said, was a serious internal security concern. He added that retired police officers and other government officials were helping verify the data, which would be shared with the Union Home Ministry after due diligence.
Bangarappa concluded his address by asserting that Karnataka, under the current government, was in no position to progress.

“This administration has failed on every front — governance, agriculture, infrastructure, education, internal security, and economic management. It is time for accountability at the highest levels,” he said. His remarks are likely to trigger a strong political response from the ruling party as Karnataka heads into a critical political season.
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