Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government over the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, labelling it a “state-sponsored man-made disaster.”
Poonawalla held Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar directly responsible for the incident, in which 11 people lost their lives and over 30 were injured during a massive public celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory.
“What we saw in the Bengaluru stampede is nothing short of a state-sponsored man-made disaster. The CM and Deputy CM are A1 and A2 in this tragedy. Yet, instead of accepting responsibility, they are busy shifting the blame,” he said while speaking to ANI.
He criticized DK Shivakumar for initially praising the police’s handling of the event and blaming the crowd for the chaos. “Just 24 hours ago, DK Shivakumar claimed the police did a fantastic job. Now they’re deflecting accountability,” he added.
Poonawalla also raised questions about the urgency in organizing such a large-scale event within 24 hours of the IPL final and asked whether proper security clearance was obtained for the parade.
“Was RCB a national team? Did it win a national tournament? What was the rush in holding such a massive celebration so quickly? Who gave the clearance for the programme at Vidhana Soudha? Who received the team at the airport, posed with the trophy, and continued the event despite the unfolding tragedy?” he asked.
Calling the government’s blame game an attempt to deflect criticism, Poonawalla said the sacking or suspension of officials without holding the political leadership accountable was unacceptable. He also took aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, urging him to apply the same standards of accountability to CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar as he expects from others.
“This is just another effort to save their own skin. Where is Rahul Gandhi now? Why are Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar not being held to the same standards he preaches?” Poonawalla said.
The tragedy occurred on June 4 when an estimated crowd of nearly three lakh people gathered to celebrate RCB’s IPL triumph, overwhelming the stadium and its surroundings, resulting in a deadly stampede.
