BENGALURU: The BJP has strongly criticized the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government for allegedly shifting blame onto Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and cricketer Virat Kohli over the June 4 stampede that occurred during the IPL victory parade. The tragic incident left 11 people dead and nearly 50 injured outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Responding to the government’s report—made public following a High Court directive—senior BJP leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Aravind Bellad said the state administration was attempting to deflect accountability after initially basking in the glory of RCB’s long-awaited IPL victory.
“After 18 years, RCB won and the Congress government wanted full credit for the celebrations,” Bellad said. “Now, they are blaming RCB and a national icon like Virat Kohli for the tragedy. This is nothing but a political cover-up.”
According to the report, RCB’s social media posts, including a video of Virat Kohli inviting fans to celebrate the win, were published without prior coordination with law enforcement. These posts reportedly triggered an overwhelming turnout, with over three lakh people descending on a stadium that can accommodate only 35,000.
The report states that confusion over entry passes and inadequate crowd control measures contributed to the deadly chaos at the gates.
Despite the stampede, the government decided not to call off the celebrations entirely, stating in the report that abruptly ending the event could have “sparked citywide unrest.” Instead, officials opted to curtail the parade’s duration and increase security monitoring.
Bellad rejected the notion that RCB or its players should be held responsible. “If the government truly believes RCB acted irresponsibly, then why were police officers suspended? Why not deny permission to the event in the first place?” he asked.
He further accused Congress leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, of inviting the public en masse through television appearances and public announcements. “The DPAR Secretary even went on air to invite people. The government machinery itself fueled the crowd buildup,” Bellad said.
He demanded an apology from the Chief Minister to the then Bengaluru Police Commissioner and asserted that holding Kohli and the RCB franchise accountable was “unfair and disrespectful.”
The Karnataka government had requested the High Court to keep the report under wraps, but the court ruled there was no legal basis for such secrecy and ordered the findings to be made public.
The BJP’s counterattack comes as political temperatures rise over the handling of the parade tragedy. The party has accused the Congress of seeking photo opportunities while sidestepping responsibility for public safety.
“They wanted the limelight when RCB won, and now they are trying to escape the consequences of their administrative failure,” Bellad added.
With the blame game escalating, the focus is once again on public event planning, accountability in governance, and the need for transparent, data-driven crowd control strategies in high-stakes civic gatherings.
