Bengaluru, Aug 12 (NationPress) The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, publicly stated on Tuesday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and Home Minister G. Parameshwara must accept accountability for their roles in the recent stampede involving the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the event.

During the Assembly session, LoP Ashoka urged that if Siddaramaiah has any compassion regarding the tragedy, he must apologize to the citizens of Karnataka.

"The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Home Minister should bear full responsibility for the stampede. They should also resign, and a CBI investigation must ensue," Ashoka emphasized.

He further insisted on the need for regulations to avert such incidents in the future, proposing the establishment of a committee to ensure justice for the bereaved families.

"Instructions regarding the event were issued from the Chief Minister's office. The state government claims this was not a government event, yet both RCB and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) assert that they were officially invited by the state government. This contradiction is documented in the affidavit presented to the court," Ashoka noted.

Ashoka referenced RCB's court statement, which indicated, "We did not request a victory celebration; the government did. We sent players at the government's directive. We are merely players abiding by BCCI rules."

In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that an FIR should be filed against RCB.

Ashoka also remarked that the KSCA informed the court that the FIR against them was filed to divert public ire away from the government.

He criticized the Congress-led state government for their negligence, recounting that on June 4, at 3:20 PM, before the event had commenced, around 70,000 to 80,000 individuals had assembled near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Had the stadium gates been opened, the crowd could have been managed, and those unable to find seating would have left. A senior police officer had ordered via walkie-talkie that no stadium gates should open until the Vidhana Soudha event concluded, which led to the stampede.

"Unable to manage the overwhelming crowd, police resorted to lathi charging, which triggered the stampede. Who authorized the lathi charge at that critical moment?" the BJP leader questioned.

Despite hosting numerous international matches at the stadium, he pointed out that no permission was secured for this event, highlighting this shocking oversight.

"I personally visited the stadium for information. The police received the keys from the Cricket Association. A senior officer had instructed, via walkie-talkie, to prevent entry. If the gates had been opened, this tragedy could have been avoided," he reiterated.

Detailing the sequence of events, Ashoka stated, "At 3:34 PM, as the program remained unstarted, Bidadi engineer Prajwal had already succumbed. A minute later, distress signals were reported. K.R. Pete civil engineer Purnachandra was caught in the stampede and died. At 4:36 PM, a report emerged about six individuals collapsing near Gate-6, with no assistance available to help them."

"Subsequently, 13-year-old Manoj Kumar and Divyanshi tragically lost their lives. Akshata Pai, Chinmayi Shetty, and Bhumik also perished. While the players were honored on stage, Kolar's Sahana passed away. Yet, no proper ambulance services were arranged. All communications were relayed via walkie-talkie, and officials surrounding the Chief Minister were aware but chose to ignore it," he lamented while criticizing the Congress-led administration.

"Had adequate medical arrangements been in place, this disaster could have been averted. Even after the fatalities, the RCB team proceeded to the stadium to celebrate, and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also attended the event," LoP Ashoka stated.

According to the Justice Michael D'Cunha Commission, 515 personnel were supposed to be on duty. However, only 194 had signed the attendance register. Even when senior officials alerted Ministers about the fatalities, the program continued unabated. RCB team members presented the IPL trophy to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Was it essential for Shivakumar to display the trophy so publicly?" he questioned.