CM defends action against police; says govt didn’t organise felicitation event in front of Vidhana Soudha

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has defended the government’s action against police officials for security lapses during the function organised to felicitate players of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, during which 11 people died in a stampede.

Contending that the allegations against his government on the matter by the BJP and JD(S) were politically motivated, Mr. Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru on Sunday that it was the responsibility of the police to ensure security for the felicitation function. Hence, action had been taken against them as there was prima facie “dereliction of duty”, he said.

Also, the Chief Minister sought to make it clear that the government did not organise the functions to felicitate the players either in front of the Vidhana Soudha or at the stadium.

“I was invited to participate in the function in front of the Vidhana Soudha by the KSCA secretary and treasurer,” he said, while adding that the KSCA representatives even informed him that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot was also attending the event.

Referring to the exchange of communication between DPAR Secretary Sathyavathi G. and the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Vidhana Soudha security over the felicitation function in front of the State Secretariat, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the DPAR Secretary was not at fault. He said the DPAR Secretary had responded to the letter by setting certain conditions to the police.

Besides, Mr. Siddaramaiah emphasised that no untoward incident took place during the felicitation function organised in front of the Vidhana Soudha. Though the first death due to the stampede was reported at 3.50 p.m. on June 4, he was informed about it only at 5.45 p.m. that day, he said.

He said the then Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda did not keep him informed about the security situation. “Should he not keep the head of the government informed? He did not,” he said.

He also sought to make it clear that the government was not trying to make Mr. Dayananda a “scapegoat” . The government’s action was not restricted to suspending Mr. Dayananda. Four other police officials, including an Additional Commissioner of Police and a Deputy Commissioner of Police, have been suspended, while the chief of the intelligence wing, Hemant Nimbalkar, was transferred and the political secretary to the Chief Minister, K. Govindaraj, was given the sack.

To a question, Mr. Siddaramaiah denied that the stampede incident was an embarrassment to the government.

“The government is not at fault. So the question of embarrassment does not arise,” he said, while adding that the government had taken action against the officials who were found to be at fault.

However, he regretted the tragedy and said such an incident had not happened after he took over as Chief Minister and hoped it never recurred. He also dismissed as false reports about the Congress high command seeking a report on the stampede.

When his attention was drawn to Opposition’s demand for his scalp, Mr. Siddaramaiah sought to know whether the BJP demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath when about 50 to 60 people died during stampede at the recent Kumbh Mela.

Mr Siddaramaiah also pointed to a statement by Karnataka BJP criticising Home Minister G. Parameshwara when the government denied permission to parade the players of the victorious team in an open bus.

Published - June 08, 2025 09:21 pm IST