Howrah: Former India cricketer and TMC MLA Manoj Tiwari has called the stampede outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium a “heartbreaking and deeply upsetting” tragedy that could have been avoided with better planning and foresight.
His statement came in the aftermath of Wednesday’s horrific incident, where 11 fans lost their lives and several others were injured while trying to witness Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden IPL title celebration.
“What happened yesterday was an extremely tragic incident. None of us could have imagined this. The fans who came to celebrate the victory would never have dreamt that they’d lose their lives. While celebrations were going on inside, people were dying outside. Someone must take responsibility,” Tiwari told IANS.
He strongly criticised the authorities and organisers for rushing the event without assessing the risks of a massive public turnout. “Couldn’t the celebration have been held after a day or two? That would have given enough time to prepare properly. You have to anticipate the scale of emotion and the number of people who would come,” he said.
Recalling how celebrations were handled after Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL win in 2012, Tiwari said, “Our Chief Minister back then, Manohar Rao, waited two days before hosting a celebration. That’s the kind of experienced leadership that prevents tragedies. I did not see such planning or foresight here.”
Tiwari also called for accountability from all stakeholders — the state government, police, security personnel and RCB’s management. “Human life must always come before celebrations. This is not just a lapse; it is a failure of collective responsibility.”
To mark RCB’s historic IPL title win, thousands of supporters had gathered outside Chinnaswamy Stadium to catch a glimpse of their heroes, including Virat Kohli — the face of the franchise since 2008. The team, having landed in Bengaluru earlier in the afternoon, was given a special reception at Vidhana Soudha by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, before heading to the stadium.
But what began as a moment of triumph quickly turned to tragedy. According to eyewitnesses, the crowd surged and chaos broke out as fans tried to force their way through the gates. Police struggled to control the swelling numbers, and reports suggest that lathi charges were carried out to disperse the crowd. The celebrations were abruptly curtailed.
In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the government will bear the full medical costs of all the injured, whether treated in government or private hospitals. “Orders have been issued to the Health Department and Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST) to ensure this without delay,” he said.
Additionally, a Magisterial Inquiry has been ordered. The Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District has been appointed to lead the investigation and submit a report within 15 days. Based on the findings, Siddaramaiah said, “appropriate action will be taken”.
The Karnataka Police have registered 11 Unnatural Death (UDR) cases in connection with the fatalities, but no FIR has yet been filed. The Cubbon Park Police Station is handling the matter and investigations are ongoing.
(IANS)
