Should the Congress High Command Demand Shivakumar's Resignation Following the Stampede?

Mysuru, June 6 (NationPress) Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, called on the Congress High Command to give serious thought to the tragic Chinnaswamy stampede that occurred on June 4, resulting in the loss of 11 lives, and to instruct Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to step down.

During a press conference on Friday, Joshi insisted that Shivakumar must resign from his Deputy Chief Minister role without delay. He also stated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should take moral responsibility for this unfortunate incident.

Joshi raised the question of how it was not a serious offense that, even after reports of “three deaths due to a stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium” surfaced while the event was in progress at Vidhana Soudha, the Deputy CM chose to attend the stadium and celebrate.

He further questioned, "How could the government fail to file a single FIR immediately after such a major tragedy, only to suspend police officers later, placing blame on them after the High Court took suo motu cognizance of the case? Will you fire D.K. Shivakumar from the Deputy CM post and subject him to an inquiry?"

Pralhad Joshi accused CM Siddaramaiah of repeating past mistakes, stating, "Siddaramaiah has previously targeted officials in the MUDA scam and displayed similar behavior in the Valmiki scam. Now, in this tragedy, he is attempting to protect his political reputation."

Joshi noted that after the High Court registered the case, the CM acted in a “thoughtless” manner.

He emphasized that since the tragedy is now under the High Court's jurisdiction, the investigation must be conducted with the court's oversight. He called for a High Court judge to oversee the inquiry.

Joshi criticized the RCB team's initial reluctance to celebrate in Bengaluru and pointed out that the police department was also hesitant to grant permission. Nevertheless, he claimed the government exerted undue pressure.

He demanded an investigation into who organized the flight that brought the RCB team to Bengaluru, stating, "It appears that government officials themselves booked the flight. This requires investigation. CM Siddaramaiah should take moral responsibility instead of attempting to cover up his errors. D.K. Shivakumar, who has been acting unreasonably, should resign immediately."

“Even after learning that people lost their lives in the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Deputy CM, ministers, and officials, along with their families, were busy taking selfies with RCB players in front of Vidhana Soudha. They continued to celebrate until 5 p.m. Does this government lack humanity and concern for its citizens?”

Pralhad Joshi questioned, “Wasn’t it you who tweeted and invited people to the grand celebration in front of Vidhana Soudha at 4 p.m.? That’s why so many attended. Moreover, Shivakumar himself welcomed the RCB players at the airport and went to Chinnaswamy Stadium. How could the Deputy CM attend when the Police Commissioner hadn’t granted permission? Does the Deputy CM believe he’s a cricket coach?”

Minister Joshi also implicated Rahul Gandhi, stating that if Gandhi possesses any sense of morality and if the Congress High Command has authority, they should first demand Shivakumar’s resignation and hold the CM accountable.