Is the Chinnaswamy Stampede Just an Accident?

Bengaluru, June 6 (NationPress) Karnataka Congress MLA Belur Gopalakrishna has described the tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy, which resulted in the loss of 11 lives, as an unfortunate accident. He urged Opposition parties to refrain from politicizing this heart-wrenching incident. Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa also dismissed calls for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation, questioning, "Who will demand resignations after the Pahalgam attack?"

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, MLA Belur criticized the BJP for exploiting the stampede tragedy for political gain, stating, "The BJP pretends to stand with the victims' families. How many lives were lost in the Prayagraj incident in Uttar Pradesh? If Prime Minister Modi resigns, our party will also demand accountability here. We must not exacerbate emotions."

He continued, "This incident should have been avoided; however, it happened. Authorities have taken action by suspending police officers and relieving the Chief Minister's Political Secretary from duty. Both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are addressing the situation appropriately. All these occurrences are unfortunate accidents. We share in the grief, and we must not create further confusion."

MLA Belur insisted that the compensation of Rs 10 lakh is inadequate and called for it to be increased to at least Rs 50 lakh. He expressed concern over the BJP's political maneuvers, questioning, "How many lives were lost during the Maha Kumbh Mela crush?"

Additionally, MLA Belur criticized Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for demanding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation, reminding him of the police violence during the aftermath of Kannada cinema icon Dr. Rajkumar's death when he was in office. "Did you resign then?" he asked.

He remarked that the unexpected turnout during the victory celebrations on June 4 led to the tragic incident.

Meanwhile, Minister Madhu Bangarappa addressed the calls for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation by posing the question, "Who will ask for resignations regarding the Pahalgam attack?"

He assured that appropriate actions are being taken in response to the stampede tragedy, emphasizing that no guilty party will escape accountability. He also questioned the lack of resignations following Operation Sindoor, referencing a statement by US President Donald Trump regarding India and Pakistan's relationship, asserting support for their Prime Minister.

Minister Madhu concluded his remarks by accusing the BJP of engaging in relentless criticism against CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. He questioned the fairness of the BJP's objections to Rahul Gandhi holding a copy of the Constitution.