State govt. has neither shirked responsibility nor is defending stampede: Priyank Kharge

Priyank Kharge, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, and IT-BT speaking to media representatives at Aiwan-e-Shahi Guest House in Kalaburagi on Friday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Priyank Kharge clarified that the State government has neither shirked responsibility nor is defending the stampede that occurred during the RCB victory celebrations at Bengaluru on Wednesday evening (June 4, 2025) in which 11 people died.

“We are all pained by the deaths of youths, and the tragic incident is not a matter of pride for any government,” he grieved.

Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Friday Mr. Kharge reiterated that he was not defending the stampede incident and claimed that there were lapses in planning on the part of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)-the cricket team of IPL, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI). If there was any faults on the government’s part, the investigation will unearth the truth, he added.

He explained that, citing security concerns the State government had denied permission for the victory parade, and the BJP leaders objected to this decision and tweeted against it-which they later deleted. He urged BJP not stoop so low to politicise the tragic incident. “The State government has expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and announced compensation, meanwhile a judicial magistrate inquiry is underway and even the police officials have been suspended,” Mr. Kharge added.

Responding sharply to BJP’s demand for the resignation of the Home Minister G. Parameshwara, Mr. Kharge stated that similar standards must apply to all incidents and he questioned whether anyone had demanded the resignation of the Union Home Minister or the External Affairs Minister over the recent Pahalgam terror attack incident.

Crop Insurance

The Minister said that the State government had released a crop insurance of ₹341 crore for Kalaburagi district during the last monsoon season, the Congress-led State government was fully committed for furthering the welfare of farmers, and we have prioritized increasing the number of farmers covered under the insurance scheme, he said.

State may face DAP shortage

Mr. Kharge cautioned that the State may face shortage of DAP this Kharif season, as Karnataka has received only 42% of the required quantity of the fertilizer so far. He alleged that the Central government has diverted our share to Bihar, and our Agriculture Minister (N. Cheluvarayaswamy) has been in talks with the central government regarding the necessary supply of fertilizers, he said.

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Published - June 06, 2025 07:22 pm IST