Bengaluru, June 4, 2025 (ANI) - At least 11 people died while many others were injured in a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday during the celebration of Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) victory in IPL 2025. Political rhetoric has started after this tragic incident, and Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra has made serious allegations against the state government.
Vijayendra said, "The state government has to take full responsibility for this tragedy. When the whole country and Karnataka were celebrating RCB's victory, the state government hastily organized a victory rally without any prior preparation, which resulted in this big tragedy." He further said that the state government had no concern for prior preparation and they were more interested in just publicity, due to which more than 11 people died and some youngsters are still in critical condition in the ICU.
Vijayendra said he spoke to some of the victims, and found that there was neither police nor any ambulance facility at the spot. He demanded that the Chief Minister send the matter for a judicial inquiry and fix responsibility.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru police issued a traffic advisory after the incident, stating that the RCB team arrived in Bengaluru on June 4 with the trophy and a special felicitation ceremony was organised at the stadium at 5 pm. However, the situation went out of control due to the large number of fans who rushed in, leading to a stampede.
State Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the crowd had gone out of control and there was no time to make arrangements. The incident has once again raised questions over the management and security arrangements of large public events.
Earlier, BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya also accused the Congress-led state government of negligence, while opposition parties have demanded accountability from the government.
The incident is not only a sad day for sports lovers but also shows how lapses in public safety and event management can lead to grave consequences. There is now increased pressure on the state government to conduct a thorough investigation into this tragedy and take action against the culprits.