Could Better Planning Have Averted the Stampede Tragedy?

Bengaluru, June 5 (NationPress) Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge expressed on Thursday that the unfortunate stampede incident could have been averted if the event had been better organized. He acknowledged that there were significant lapses.

“Each of us, including fans, could have acted differently to prevent such a tragedy,” remarked Kharge, who is the son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

At least 11 individuals lost their lives and approximately 40 were injured in a stampede that occurred near the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the victory celebrations of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Wednesday. Priyank Kharge stated,

While addressing the press, the state Minister for RDPR, IT, and BT said, “We are a responsible government. We accepted our role in this incident, and importantly, every one of us could have made better choices.”

Priyank further mentioned, “Additionally, whether it’s the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the government, or the fans, we all could have contributed to a more effective outcome. I am uncertain about the details of what transpired, nor whether adequate consultations took place among the team management, the cricket association, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with the Department of Home.”

“There’s no point in placing blame on anyone. We are a responsible government. The CM, Dy CM, and Home Minister have all acknowledged their responsibilities; this is an unfortunate event that could have been avoided and organized more effectively,” he stated.

“However, the excitement was overwhelming, especially after an 18-year wait for this victory. Regardless of the circumstances, we have accepted responsibility and are implementing corrective actions,” he added.

“Everything unfolded too rapidly. It is clear, as the CM and HM indicated yesterday, that we will not defend any actions. There have been planning shortcomings,” Priyank asserted.

“The unexpected presence of 250,000 to 300,000 people on the streets was unforeseen, and crucially, the insufficient time for preparations was a significant factor since they arrived just 16 to 24 hours after the victory. Naturally, we didn’t foresee such an overwhelming reaction,” he observed.

“As part of the inquiry, all individuals involved will be questioned. We will discern the reasons behind this incident and ensure that similar situations are avoided in the future. The distinction between us and other administrations is that we are taking ethical responsibility for everything and taking corrective steps,” Priyank stated.

“If you look at the social media posts from the official accounts of the BJP and their leaders yesterday, they were the ones who recommended that the victory parade take place; they even proposed an open-bus victory parade. The Home Minister had clearly stated it was not viable. Now, the BJP has removed that tweet and is backtracking on their statements, indicating things could have been managed better,” he alleged.

“On one hand, they advocate for a grand celebration, and now they claim this should never have occurred. It’s not appropriate to politicize every issue,” he criticized.