'Don't want to defend this': Siddaramaiah orders probe into Bengaluru stampede, announces Rs 10 lakh compensation

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he does not wish to defend the tragic stampede that occurred outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations. The incident claimed 11 lives and left 33 injured. 

"The entire police force available in Bengaluru city was deployed. Of course, this incident should not have happened. We are with the victims. I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this,” Siddaramaiah said in a press conference. He has ordered a magisterial inquiry with a deadline of 15 days. "People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2–3 lakh people came."

"Such incidents happened in many places; I am not going to defend it by comparing them and saying that it happened here and there. 50-60 people died in Kumbh Mela. I did not criticise. If Congress criticises, then that is a different matter. Did I or the Karnataka government criticise?" Siddaramaiah said.

The celebrations were organised after RCB won their maiden Indian Premier League title on Tuesday, ending an 18-year wait by defeating Punjab Kings in the final held at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

As anticipation soared, tens of thousands gathered around the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to catch a glimpse of the team. Chaos broke out as fans attempted to force their way in, overwhelming security arrangements.

One RCB fan told ANI, "Inside, also the seats are all full and that's why they are not letting us go in. We want to go back, but we are not allowed to go back. The gates are crowded with people, even if they open the gates, people will start coming inside and a lot of people have been injured.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing sorrow, called the mishap “absolutely heartrending.” In a post shared by the PMO, he said, “In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery.”

The incident triggered political backlash from opposition parties. BJP's CT Ravi, JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy, and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy criticised the Congress-led state government over what they called a complete failure in planning and crowd control. “This is not just mismanagement; this is a complete collapse of basic administration,” Nikhil Kumaraswamy said. HD Kumaraswamy called the tragedy preventable, adding that the government “must take full responsibility for this disaster.”

Siddaramaiah announced Rs 10 lakh as compensation for the families of those who died and assured that the government would bear the cost of treatment for the injured.