Mallikarjun Kharge Terms Bengaluru RCB Fans Stampede As An Accident; Slams BJP Over Kumbh, Covid Deaths

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge referred to the June 4 stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy stadium as "an accident." He compared the Karnataka government's response to that of Uttar Pradesh during the Kumbh Mela in January and the Covid-19 pandemic. "It is definitely wrong and our leaders have apologised," Kharge stated, addressing the BJP's demand for resignations from Karnataka's Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Home Minister following the incident that resulted in 11 deaths.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah echoed similar sentiments when questioned about accountability after the Bengaluru stampede at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory event. He labelled the BJP's resignation demands as "purely political" and accused them of playing blame games. "They always manipulate facts and mislead the public with fake information. Their demand for resignations has no basis," Siddaramaiah said.

Political Accusations and Historical Comparisons

Siddaramaiah highlighted past incidents like the Kumbh Mela stampede, where 40-50 people died, questioning why there were no resignation demands then. He also mentioned a flyover collapse on its inauguration day that killed 140 people, asking if they sought the Prime Minister's resignation. "Who was Chief Minister during the Godhra train incident? During the oxygen crisis in Chamarajanagar, did they seek Bommai's resignation?" he asked.

Kharge further questioned who resigned over tragedies during Covid-19 or in Uttar Pradesh. "It's not just here; even during Covid, did Yogi resign for the stampede? If anything is intentional, we will take steps accordingly. But this is an accident; it is definitely wrong, and our leaders have also apologised," he said.

Government Response and Investigation

Siddaramaiah called out what he termed as opportunistic demands by BJP and assured that appropriate action would be taken based on investigation results. The government aims to address concerns while ensuring accountability without succumbing to political pressure.

Kharge criticised BJP for not demanding resignations in similar past incidents. "Did anyone resign for the stampede during Kumbh Mela? I don't speak much... but lakhs took a dip in (Kumbh Mela) and I was criticised for one statement. We saw many dead bodies float away," Kharge told reporters.