Bengaluru, June 7 (IANS) Hitting out at the Karnataka Congress leaders who defended the June 4 Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede incident which claimed 11 lives by comparing it to the Prayagraj tragedy where at least 30 people died, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje said that 66 crore people had gathered in Prayagraj.

Speaking to the media at the BJP office in Bengaluru on Saturday, the Union Minister stated: “You talk about the Prayagraj incident. Do you even know how many people gathered there? More than 66 crore people came down to Prayagraj, and you couldn’t manage a gathering of a mere 2 lakh people in Bengaluru. A similar celebration was held in Mumbai… more than 10 lakh people gathered, and not a single death was reported.”

The Union Minister, addressing the Congress leaders, said: “Here, only for the sake of publicity, you create this mess to hold an event at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has a capacity of accommodating just 40,000 people.”

Shobha Karandlaje further said: “There was a rivalry between CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar over who would gain more image from this event. The CM posted on X, welcoming fans to the function near Vidhana Soudha. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) gave a letter on June 3 on their letterhead, addressing the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) Secretary, requesting that the CM and Deputy CM grace the occasion and felicitate RCB players. Now you claim, ‘we don’t know anything’.

Criticising the Siddaramaiah-led government, she said: “First, a magisterial probe was ordered. We asked whether a Deputy Commissioner could probe against the CM. Then you formed the Michael D’Cunha Commission? D’Cunha is appointed to probe the Covid scam, and he has not submitted that report yet. We have no opposition. Why did you choose him out of all retired judges? What is your intention?

“The magisterial probe and investigation by the D’Cunha Commission are ordered to hush up the tragedy. I have written a letter to the Karnataka Chief Justice requesting for suo motu cognisance, and it has been admitted. But it was the responsibility of the state to appoint a sitting High Court judge.”

The Union Minister also criticised the move to suspend the Bengaluru Police Commissioner.

“CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar are the ones who should actually resign. A sitting judge should investigate the matter. Today, RCB management staff are arrested… why should you not be arrested?” she questioned.

“The government can’t put the blame on officers. You suspend officers who denied permission for the programme. There is no punishment for those who used pressure to get the event done to take their children and relatives to the event,” she stated.

Shobha Karandlaje further said: “People died in the stampede at the stadium at about 3.45 p.m., and you started the programme at 4 p.m. CM and Dy CM, who is also in charge of Bengaluru city, knew very well about the deaths, and still, celebrations continued at Vidhana Soudha. That means, Mr. Siddaramaiah, you conducted a celebration over dead bodies.

“If you had given permission, why did you suspend the police officers? The government must answer. The police clearly stated they needed time for preparation. There are 21 gates for the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and 19 gates are normally opened during matches. On June 4, only three gates were opened. When you declared free entry with passes, why did you not open all the gates? That’s how the stampede occurred.”

–IANS

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