'20 Stampedes Happened In BJP-Ruled States': Siddaramaiah On Chinnaswamy Stadium Tragedy

Last Updated:August 22, 2025, 13:57 IST

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recalled the Prayagraj stampede during the Kumbh Mela in January this year that took 39 lives and asked if CM Yogi resigned after that.

A file photo of Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah (PTI)

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday stated that 20 stampedes have occurred in BJP-ruled states, attributing the June stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium, which resulted in 11 deaths, to “mass hysteria."

During a discussion in the Assembly about the June 4 stampede, Siddaramaiah listed several major stampedes in the BJP-ruled states, starting with the August 3, 2008 incident at the Naina Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district, which happened when Prem Singh Dhumal was the Chief Minister. He also mentioned the 2008 Jodhpur stampede, which claimed 250 lives.

Other incidents he referred to included the Ratangarh stampede in 2013, the 2021 stampede in Haridwar, the 2023 Sehore incident in Madhya Pradesh, and the Hathras stampede in Uttar Pradesh in 2024, which claimed 121 lives.

He further recalled the Prayagraj stampede during the Kumbh Mela in January this year that took 39 lives, as well as the 2022 Gujarat Morbi bridge collapse that killed 135 people.

Taking a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Karnataka Chief Minister asked, “Did Yogi Adityanath resign as UP CM" following the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela tragedy that claimed 39 lives.

Reflecting on his political career, Siddaramaiah remarked, “In my 42 years of political life, never such an incident took place. I had never seen 11 people dying in a stampede. I am pained. I expressed my sorrow the same day."

He also pointed out that the public viewed the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL victory as a matter of Bengaluru’s pride, and the resulting “mass hysteria" led to the stampede.

Siddaramaiah concluded by acknowledging the democratic nature of such events, saying, “We sometimes have to bow to the people’s expectations in democracy. That’s the sign of democracy," adding that he had personally attended the RCB victory celebrations.

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

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Karnataka, India, India

First Published:

August 22, 2025, 13:57 IST

News india '20 Stampedes Happened In BJP-Ruled States': Siddaramaiah On Chinnaswamy Stadium Tragedy

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