Political Fallout Over Karnataka Stampede: Leaders Under Fire

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has called for Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and other ministers to resign over a stampede that killed 11 people. Criticizing the suspension of police officers, Kumaraswamy questioned the government’s decision-making, accusing them of neglecting the moral responsibility for the incident.

In a sharp political attack, JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy demanded the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, and Home Minister G Parameshwara following a deadly stampede on June 4 that claimed 11 lives.

Kumaraswamy criticized the swift suspension of five police officers, including the city police commissioner, labeling it unnecessary and a tactic to scapegoat officials for governmental failures. He emphasized that suspending officers without proper consideration compromises their ability to work effectively.

The former CM questioned the need for hasty victory celebrations, implying it led to the tragic incident, and insisted that moral accountability should lead to resignations. The Congress rebuttal cited past incidents to counter opposition allegations, which Kumaraswamy dismissed as irrelevant.

(With inputs from agencies.)