No amount can compensate for lives lost in stampede, says Somanna

Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna addressing reporters in Mysuru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM

Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna said here on Sunday that no amount can compensate for the 11 lives lost in the stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory parade in Bengaluru.

Responding to the State government’s decision to enhance compensation from ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh to the family members of the victims, Mr. Somanna said lives lost cannot be compensated even with an entire year’s Budget; those who died were youngsters and were the future of the country, he added.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Somanna said the State government should have taken moral responsibility for the incident but it has made the Police Department a scapegoat and compromised their integrity. “It is an unforgivable crime to punish the police for your own follies and people of the State are watching and would impart a befitting lesson,” said Mr. Somanna, urging the government to rescind the suspension of the police officials.

The tragedy has brought disrepute to Karnataka and the entire country as innocent people have died and nobody in the government was prepared to take the responsibility, the Minister said.

Replying to a question, Mr. Somanna said that he did not expect such a response to the tragedy from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

“He is a senior leader. What has happened to his sensibilities? He has changed, and it is not the Siddaramaiah we knew off. There is no Congress leader in the country who has been given the kind of free hand that has been given to Siddaramaiah. Yet the decisions he has taken indicate that he is struggling to retain power at all costs while the government has derailed,” said Mr. Somanna.

Published - June 08, 2025 06:42 pm IST