'Cheaper than a cup of chai': Harsh Goenka on value of common man's life in India after Bengaluru stampede kills 11

Billionaire entrepreneur Harsh Goenka on Wednesday took to X (previously Twitter) to comment on the stampede at the Chinnaswamt Stadium in Bengaluru. The Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebration in Bengaluru turned tragic when a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others.

Commenting on the incident, Goenka said that the life of a common man in India is not priceless; it is worthless. He also lamented the fact that the business will go on as usual after this incident, and nothing will change. 

"Delhi station stampede. Kumbh stampede. Bangalore IPL stampede. Dozens die. No resignations. No accountability. No lessons. In India, the life of a common man isn’t priceless- it’s worthless. Cheaper than a cup of chai! Business will go on as usual. Nothing will change (sic)," Goenka, who heads RPG Enterprises, wrote in his post. 

Another social media user took to X and questioned fans on whether it is worth risking their lives for celebrating the victory of their favourite IPL franchise. 

The Bengaluru police advised against holding the event on such short notice, but the state government and RCB chose to proceed, citing the impending departure of foreign players. Despite police exhaustion from maintaining public order, the event took place, with over two lakh supporters turning up.

A temporary slab over a drain collapsed under the weight of the crowd, triggering the stampede. The KSCA has announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for each family of the deceased. Despite the tragedy, the celebration continued for 20 minutes before organisers were informed of the stampede.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated it was not responsible for the event but acknowledged organisational lapses. Virat Kohli, expressing his sorrow, said, "At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted."

The celebratory event was held within 18 hours of RCB's triumph, with pressure to proceed due to the imminent departure of foreign players.