Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded to the tragic stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations on June 4. Siddaramaiah stated that his government was not responsible for the stampede, adding that RCB and KSCA were accountable for the tragedy.
On June 4, a large crowd of around two to three lakh people gathered outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory. During the felicitation ceremony, a stampede occurred, which resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals and injuries to 56 others.
CM Siddaramaiah Blames RCB and KSCA for Bengaluru Stampede
Siddaramaiah denied any role in organizing the RCB victory celebrations event. The CM said that he attended only because the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials invited him. Siddaramaiah added that RCB and KSCA were responsible for organizing the function.
“The secretary and treasurer of KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) came and invited me to the event. We didn’t organise the function, the KSCA did,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.
“They also informed me that the Governor is also coming, I only went there. I don’t know anything apart from that I only went there after I was invited, they didn’t invite me to the stadium,” he added.
Karnataka Chief Minister Absent During Stampede at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was not present at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the stampede on June 4. However, he did attend the Royal Challengers Bengaluru felicitation ceremony held in front of Vidhana Soudha after being invited by officials from the KSCA.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the BJP-led opposition has demanded Siddaramaiah’s resignation. They accused the state government of failing to properly manage the celebrations and criticized it for focusing more on political optics than on public safety.
Last week, the Karnataka government announced a compensation package of ₹25 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede.
Representatives of RCB and KSCA Must Be Arrested – Karnataka Chief Minister
Several senior police officials in Bengaluru, including the Cubbon Park police inspector, station house officer, jurisdictional ACP, central DCP, stadium in-charge ACP, and the city police commissioner, have been suspended by the Siddaramaiah government following the tragic stampede.
Siddaramaiah also called for the arrest of representatives from RCB, the event management firm DNA, and the KSCA, stating that preliminary evidence suggests their negligence and lack of care contributed to the disaster
“The representatives of RCB, even managers of DNA, the event management company, and the Karnataka cricket body have to be arrested,” Siddaramaiah said. “We have asked for their arrest as prima facie it appears as if their negligence and apathy led to the tragedy,” the Chief Minister added.
The Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu action regarding the Bengaluru stampede. It has instructed the Siddaramaiah government to provide a detailed status report.
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