BJP workers wear CM masks, carry IPL trophy replica in protest over Bengaluru stampede; police detain several at Freedom Park

BENGALURU: Karnataka BJP workers on Tuesday staged a protest in Bengaluru, wearing face masks with images of chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and carrying a replica of the IPL trophy.

The protest was aimed at holding the Congress-led state government accountable for the recent stampede tragedy near Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives. Protesters demanded the immediate resignation of both top leaders. Police detained several BJP workers at Freedom Park, where they were holding protest. Authorities intervened, citing law and order concerns as the protest gained momentum. The stampede occurred during the IPL victory celebration for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where an estimated 3 lakh people had gathered without adequate safety and crowd control arrangements. Leader of the opposition R Ashok has written to the chief minister, urging the government to convene an emergency session of the legislature to discuss the tragedy. He highlighted concerns over public safety, lapses in event organisation, and post-incident handling, alleging attempts to shield influential individuals involved in the planning.Karnataka government had suspended top police officials from Cubbon Park police station and announced the formation of a one-man commission headed by a retired High Court judge to investigate the incident.