BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra blames govt. for stampede deaths in Bengaluru

BJP MLA and former Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has blamed the State government for the death of 11 fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the stampede during the celebrations of IPL win in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

In a press conference on Thursday, Mr. Jnanendra said the government failed to anticipate the response of the people to the historic victory of the RCB. The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Home Minister had stated that they never expected such a huge turnout. It showed their failure to assess the situation.

Mr. Jnanendra said that he took firm decisions as Home Minister for the smooth conduct of the event following the death of Kannada actor Punit Rajkumar.

More than 20 lakh people paid their last respect to the actor. However, this time, the State government did not take police officers into confidence to handle the crowd, he said.

“Mr. Siddaramaiah should have tendered an apology for poor handling of the situation,” Mr. Jnanendra said.

BJP MLC D.S. Arun alleged that the State government, Karnataka State Cricket Association, and the franchise failed to handle the situation, and the government’s intelligence failed.

Published - June 05, 2025 06:15 pm IST