A political storm has erupted in Karnataka after the suspension of Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launching a scathing attack on the Congress-led state government, terming the move as an unprecedented blow to the integrity of the police force.

In a strongly worded statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Karnataka BJP said, “For the first time in the history of Karnataka, cold-blooded murderers are punishing top police officers.” The party accused the state leadership of trying to scapegoat the police to cover its own administrative failures during the RCB IPL victory celebration stampede.

The backlash follows a chaotic event held outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, where massive crowds gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title win. The overcrowding resulted in a stampede, prompting public outrage and an official investigation.

In response to the tragedy, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered immediate disciplinary action, which included the suspension of Commissioner Dayanand and several senior officers. The CM also directed the arrest of representatives from RCB, DNA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.—the event management company—and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.