Bengaluru, June 10 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar reached Delhi on Tuesday to brief the Congress high command about the June 4 Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, which claimed 11 lives.

Both leaders departed for Delhi on the same flight at 7 a.m.

Sources revealed that Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will personally speak with the duo about the incident. The Congress high command is concerned about the handling of the RCB victory celebration events and the public backlash against the government following the stampede tragedy.

Sources also indicate that Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had called the state leadership to inquire about accountability for the stampede tragedy. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar were reportedly unable to provide convincing answers.

Furthermore, sources revealed that Rahul Gandhi and Kharge are upset with the response and reprimanded both leaders for the lack of coordination and summoned them to Delhi.

Minister for PWD Satish Jarkiholi, a close associate of CM Siddaramaiah, along with Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda and others, had reached Delhi on Monday night.

Congress leaders indicate that Home Minister G. Parameshwara is worried about the turn of events.

The visit has assumed significance as the Opposition BJP is demanding the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and Home Minister G. Parameshwara.

CM Siddaramaiah has been accused of allowing the RCB to hold the event against the warnings issued by the Bengaluru Police.

Earlier, in more trouble for the state government, the RCB franchise approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the criminal case lodged against them in the stampede case.

Soon after the tragedy, CM Siddaramaiah had quickly moved into damage control mode and announced the suspension of five senior police officers, including the Bengaluru Commissioner and two other IPS officers.

Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje dubbed the move unprecedented in the country, maintaining that she had only heard about IPS officers getting transferred on such occasions. She charged that CM Siddaramaiah had suspended the officers merely to save the government from embarrassment.

Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy mocked the multiple probes ordered by CM Siddaramaiah.

Earlier, the government ordered a magisterial probe, a One-Man Commission headed by a retired High Court judge, and an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated on Monday that he would face any situation and would not run away “like a coward”.

–IANS

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