Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is slated to travel to Delhi on Tuesday to brief the party high command on the recent developments surrounding the Bengaluru stampede incident, which claimed 11 lives on June 4 during the victory celebration of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team.
In Delhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will meet with the Congress high command and provide details on recent developments.
The visit has assumed significance as the Opposition BJP is demanding the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and Home Minister G. Parameshwara.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has confirmed CM Siddaramaiah’s trip to Delhi.
Sources stated that the high command has expressed concerns over the turn of events in Karnataka.
CM Siddaramaiah has been accused of allowing the RCB to hold the event against the warnings issued by the Bengaluru police.
Earlier, in more trouble for the state government, the RCB franchise approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the criminal case lodged against them in the stampede case.
Elaborating on the RCB’s preparations to hold the event, the petition stated that extensive discussions were held with the DNA Event Management firm and the officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).
The petition further underlined that the police gave oral confirmation for the victory parade and celebrations on June 4. RCB had announced that entry to the stadium was strictly upon registration on the official website and the issuance of passes. This was done to restrict the crowd to the limited capacity of the stadium, it stated.
Soon after the tragedy, CM Siddaramaiah had quickly moved into damage control mode and announced the suspension of five senior police officers, including the Bengaluru Commissioner and two other IPS officers.
Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje dubbed the move unprecedented in the country, maintaining that she had only heard about IPS officers getting transferred on such occasions. She charged that CM Siddaramaiah had suspended the officers merely to save the government from embarrassment.
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, attacking the state government over the issue, mocked the multiple probes ordered by CM Siddaramaiah.
It can be recalled that the government has ordered a magisterial probe, a One-Man Commission headed by a retired High Court judge, and an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Sources revealed that since a cabinet reshuffle is on the cards, the high command might initiate steps in connection with the failure to handle the victory celebrations and for embarrassing the party at the national level.
Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated on Monday that he would face any situation and would not run away “like a coward.” While reacting to rumours about demands for a change of his portfolio in the aftermath of the stampede incident that claimed 11 lives on June 4, he said, “We should face the situation and shouldn’t run away like cowards.”
“At this juncture, we have stated that the Bengaluru stampede incident is unfortunate, and it should not have happened. Such incidents should not occur. We are pained. These are challenges, and we should face them. One cannot run away from this like a coward.”
When asked whether he spoke to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on this matter, he said it was “far from the truth.”
He added, “The media has already claimed that I had been summoned to Delhi. Thanks for this. The high command has asked us about what happened, and we have provided information over the phone. The high command has not called me either to Delhi or Mumbai.”
“The National General Secretaries will call us; they will be concerned over what is happening here. They will ask the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and us,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Dy CM and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar has also visited Delhi, and sources reveal that he had spoken to the high command leaders about the developments. However, he has denied having met any national leaders.
Political circles in the state indicate that the high command is likely to take “decisions” against cabinet ministers regarding the stampede tragedy.
(IANS)
