RCB Stampede: A Political Blame Game in Karnataka

In the aftermath of the Bengaluru stampede during the RCB victory celebrations, political parties engage in a fierce blame game. The BJP accuses the Congress-led Karnataka government of negligence, while Congress responds by suspending the police commissioner and defending their actions. The tragic event resulted in 11 deaths and over 30 injuries.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson, R.P. Singh, on Friday accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of scapegoating the police in the aftermath of the RCB stampede. Singh alleged that the state government is unjustly placing the blame on the police to divert attention from its own responsibilities in the tragic incident.

Singh further pointed out that the RCB team celebration, initially scheduled for Sunday, was advanced by the government, an action he claimed led to the tragic loss of lives. He stated that the decision to prepone the event was made in excitement, but unfortunately led to a fatal outcome, calling it a clear example of mismanagement.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a more accusatory stance, labeling the Bengaluru stampede a 'state-sponsored man-made disaster.' Poonawalla argued that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister bear direct responsibility for the tragedy. He criticized their apparent attempts to deflect blame and reminded that just a day earlier, a senior official praised the police instead of addressing accountability.

Conversely, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari stood by the Karnataka government's actions, praising the leadership for suspending the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner in an attempt to uphold responsibility. Tiwari also drew a parallel with the BJP, noting its failure to bring those responsible for the Pahalgam attack to justice.

Highlighting the severity of the incident, Tiwari criticized the compensation offered by RCB to victims' families as insufficient, asserting that at least one crore per family should be provided. The stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which gathered nearly three lakh spectators, resulted in 11 fatalities and over 30 injuries, overshadowing the celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory.

(With inputs from agencies.)