Bengaluru, July 15 (IANS) After a clean chit to three senior IPS officers in the 2025 Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede tragedy, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R. Ashoka on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, alleging that it was trying to shield those responsible for the deaths of 11 people.

Reacting to the Karnataka government’s decision to drop departmental inquiries against senior IPS officers in connection with the June 4, 2025, stampede, Ashoka questioned who would be held accountable for the tragedy.

“The tears and curse of the grieving parents will not spare this murderous Congress government,” Ashoka said in a statement.

He alleged that the Congress government had failed to ensure justice for the victims and accused it of treating the incident as a “government-sponsored killing”.

“Who is truly responsible for the deaths of the 11 innocent young men and women who died in the horrific stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium? Where is the justice for this government-sponsored tragedy?” he asked.

Ashoka claimed that then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had approved holding IPL victory celebrations at two separate venues on the same day, while then Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar allegedly participated in a photo opportunity holding an RCB flag despite the unfolding tragedy.

He further alleged that, despite warnings from the police, then Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) Secretary Satyavathi insisted on holding the event in front of the Vidhana Soudha, while then Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh was overseeing the entire administrative machinery.

“Today, Siddaramaiah has no fault, D.K. Shivakumar is innocent, the Chief Secretary is blameless, the DPAR Secretary is innocent, and now even the police officers have been exonerated. Then who is responsible for the deaths of those 11 innocent people? Did they die on their own?” he said.

Ashoka said he had raised the issue in the Assembly and accused the government of using inquiries merely as a means to cover up the incident rather than deliver justice to the victims’ families.

“I had said on the floor of the House that every inquiry ordered by this government is only an attempt to bury the case. This corrupt Congress government has no intention whatsoever of ensuring justice for the bereaved parents,” he said.

In a strongly worded conclusion, Ashoka said those in power would not escape public scrutiny.

“Power is not permanent, Mr D.K. Shivakumar. The people have not forgotten. The public will deliver appropriate punishment to this murderous Congress government,” he said.

It can be recalled that the Karnataka government on Tuesday exonerated senior IPS officers B. Dayananda, Vikash Kumar Vikash and Shekhar H. Tekkannavar in connection with the June 4, 2025, Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede case in which 11 people were killed, bringing an end to the departmental proceedings initiated against them under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.

Separate orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Services-IV) stated that the disciplinary proceedings initiated under Rule 8(4) of the AIS (D&A) Rules have been closed after the competent authority examined the officers’ statements of defence and the opinion of the Administrative Department.

It can be recalled that a total of 11 people were killed in the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede in Bengaluru on June 4, 2025, during the celebrations marking Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden IPL title victory. The incident also left at least 56 people injured, according to official figures.

The crowd crush occurred outside multiple gates of the stadium as tens of thousands of fans gathered for the felicitation ceremony. Investigations later revealed that nearly 2.5 lakh people had converged around the venue, overwhelming the security and crowd-management arrangements.

The deceased included six men and five women, and the tragedy led to multiple inquiries, suspensions of senior police officers, and legal proceedings involving event organisers and government officials.

–IANS

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