Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday rejected allegations from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that his government delayed action following the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives. As political blame intensified, the Chief Minister asserted that prompt disciplinary action had already been taken against officials found negligent.
“They are doing it for politics. I don’t do politics,” Siddaramaiah said, referring to the BJP’s criticism. “We have taken action against those who were visibly responsible and found to be negligent in their duty.”
The Chief Minister’s defence came in response to BJP State President BY Vijayendra’s accusation that the Congress-led government acted only under pressure. Vijayendra pointed to the sudden suspension of Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda and five other senior officials as a reactive measure rather than a proactive one.
“The real accused is none other than Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,” Vijayendra alleged. “Accused no. 2 is Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Accused no. 3 is Home Minister G. Parameshwara. They must truly be subjected to investigation.”
Following the June 4 stampede, multiple IPS officers were suspended, including Additional Commissioner Vikash Kumar Vikash, DCP (Central) Shekhar HT, ACP Balakrishna, and Cubbon Park Police Inspector Girish AK. Senior IPS officer Seemant Kumar Singh has since taken over as Bengaluru’s police commissioner.
The Karnataka police also registered FIRs against the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in connection with the incident. In response, KSCA filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the FIRs. The petition, supported by KSCA President Raghuram Bhat and other senior board members, is scheduled for hearing later today before Justice Krishna Kumar.
The stampede, which occurred during a ticket distribution event, has sparked widespread criticism of both law enforcement and event organisers, prompting a larger debate on accountability and administrative preparedness for large public gatherings.
