Should Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar Resign Over the Stampede Incident?

Bengaluru, June 17 (NationPress) The Karnataka BJP unit held a demonstration at Freedom Park on Tuesday, calling for the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also oversees Bengaluru, following the tragic stampede incident on June 4 that resulted in the loss of 11 lives.

The protesters also urged the resignation of Home Minister G. Parameshwara, emphasizing the Congress government's shortcomings in preventing the disaster that occurred near Chinnaswamy Stadium during the IPL victory celebration for RCB.

Among those participating in the protest were BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, Opposition Leader R. Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan, along with numerous BJP MLAs, MLCs, District Presidents of Bengaluru, former BBMP members, and other party leaders.

The demonstrators displayed placards criticizing the Congress-led government in Karnataka and chanted slogans against CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar. The placards contained statements like: 'The publicity and photo obsession of Congress leaders led to the deaths of innocents', 'Knowing that people would gather in huge numbers, why was the event organized on such short notice?', 'Is it fair to penalize the police for the government's errors?', and 'Despite the deaths in the stampede, Congress continued the felicitation event with insensitivity.'

Police apprehended all BJP leaders when they attempted to cross the barricades at Freedom Park to march towards Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s residence. They were subsequently transported to an undisclosed location.

BJP State President and MLA Vijayendra remarked that even 13 days post-tragedy, the Karnataka government has evaded accountability. He accused them of shifting blame onto police officers, noting that the High Court has also indicated that the political leadership must bear responsibility. 'In this context, we are insisting on the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,' he stated.

In response to Congress leaders referencing tragedies during events like the Maha Kumbh Mela, Vijayendra insisted that the incident at Chinnaswamy Stadium, which resulted in 11 fatalities, was a direct consequence of the state government's negligence, including that of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.

'Their rivalry led to this tragedy. The entirety of the blame lies with the state government, the Chief Minister, and the Deputy Chief Minister. Therefore, we are demanding their resignations,' he asserted.

Opposition leader R. Ashoka condemned the Congress government, stating, 'We have lost 11 students in the stampede incident. In light of this, we will lay siege to the Chief Minister’s residence.'

Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner and BJP leader Bhaskar Rao stated, 'This protest aims to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar. They are directly accountable for the Bengaluru stampede incident, which resulted in loss of lives. Other incidents in the country have occurred accidentally.'

He criticized the government, remarking, 'Suspensions should follow proper procedures and preliminary inquiries. Here, no such procedures were followed. By suspending police officers, the government believes it has resolved the stampede issue.'

Rao further condemned, 'The suspension of police personnel in this case is entirely unlawful and unjustified. They have shifted blame from themselves to innocent police officers who advised that the program should be postponed for two days to ensure safety. Ignoring this advice, when the incident occurred, they now target the police officers. The government is merely trying to absolve itself and close the matter by making scapegoats of the police.'