MYSURU/BENGALURU: Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday sought to distance his govt from the 11 deaths in a stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB’s IPL win celebrations on June 4, saying he had okayed only the state-organised event at Vidhana Soudha where nothing untoward happened.Blaming suspended police commissioner B Dayananda, he said he was informed about the stampede at 5.45pm, almost two hours after it occurred.The CM’s statements came as opposition BJP demanded a three-day special legislative session to discuss the stampede. The party also plans to meet governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and President Droupadi Murmu to seek dismissal of the Congress-led govt.
Talking to reporters in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah pushed back, saying, “Govt has done nothing wrong. Where did it happen? At the stadium. Did anything untoward happen at Vidhana Soudha? All those responsible have been suspended or taken into custody.” Four people, including an RCB top executive, have been arrested so far.The CM denied any embarrassment to his govt, though he admitted being pained. “Such a tragedy has never occurred on my watch,” he said, blaming RCB, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and Bengaluru police for mismanaging crowd control and communication.Siddaramaiah said he was informed of the stampede only at 5.45pm. Crowds had begun to gather at Vidhana Soudha and the stadium through the afternoon and a stampede broke out . The CM said the deaths were reported at the hospital at 3.50pm. “I’m the head of govt. Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda should have informed me during the Vidhana Soudha celebrations. He didn’t.” The team was felicitated at Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature, after which it moved to the stadium.The CM said Dayananda, political secretary Govindraju, and ADGP (intelligence) Hemant Nimbalkar have been removed from their posts. He defended senior bureaucrats, saying chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh approved the event after police assured adequate security. The CM insisted KSCA led the Vidhana Soudha event and formally invited him. “They told me even governor Gehlot was attending. I wasn’t invited to the stadium,” he said.BJP accused govt of ignoring security warnings and breaching norms. R Ashoka and Chaluvadi Narayanswamy – BJP’s leader of opposition in the assembly and legislative council, respectively – said the party would formally write to Siddaramaiah, assembly speaker UT Khader, and council chairman Basavaraj Horatti to demand the session.Ashoka cited letters from Vidhana Soudha DCP MN Karibasavana Gowda and PWD officials warning against hosting a large crowd at the assembly complex. “The DCP asked for CCTV cameras and an anti-drone system. None were installed,” the BJP functionary said. He said the PWD limited the stage to 60x20ft with 25 seats, but over 200 people were present, including the CM’s grandson.Ashoka said 95 BJP MLAs, including Horatti, would donate a month’s salary each to compensate the 11 victims’ families.
