The political fallout over the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium continues to intensify, with Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra launching a scathing attack on the Congress-led state government. In a pointed statement, Vijayendra questioned the administration’s priorities and accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his cabinet of being more focused on publicity than public safety.
“Even before the players had left the Taj West End Hotel, the stampede had occurred near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. At such a time, why did the government decide to go ahead with celebrations at the Vidhana Soudha?” Vijayendra asked, highlighting the government's apparent insensitivity in the face of a deadly incident.
He further questioned the state’s response even as chaos unfolded. “Even when deaths and injuries were being reported, why did they continue with the celebrations? The Deputy Chief Minister of the state went to the event at Chinnaswamy Stadium... At the time of the incident, ambulances were not arranged,” he said, accusing the government of gross negligence in handling the situation.
The stampede, which took place during the IPL victory celebration for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has claimed 11 lives and injured over 40. The event, initially meant to be a citywide celebration, turned into a tragedy due to what critics are calling a complete failure in crowd control and emergency preparedness.
