Key Points

A tragic stampede near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB's IPL victory celebration claimed 11 lives and injured dozens. Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge openly admitted that better planning could have prevented the incident. The government has announced compensation and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the crowd management failure. Political parties are now engaged in a blame game, with BJP and Congress leaders pointing fingers at each other's administrative incompetence.

Key Points: Priyank Kharge Admits Bengaluru Stampede Could Have Been Prevented

  • Massive crowd overwhelmed stadium's 35,000 capacity
  • Government announces Rs 10 lakh compensation for victims
  • Magisterial inquiry ordered by CM Siddaramaiah
  • Political blame game erupts after tragedy
4 min read

There was a mistake; better planning and coordination could have avoided it : Minister Priyank Kharge

11 dead in RCB victory celebration chaos near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as ministers blame each other and acknowledge crowd management failure

"This could have been avoided with better planning and coordination - Priyank Kharge, Karnataka Minister"

Bengaluru, June 5

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday admitted that the stampede near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which caused the death of 11 people, could have been prevented with better planning and coordination.

Speaking to media persons, Kharge said, "Yes, there has been a mistake. This could have been avoided with better planning and coordination. A stadium with a capacity of 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people, poured out on the streets. Although we did our best, we were unable to manage the crowd."

He added that the Chief Minister has taken responsibility for the incident and assured that corrective measures will be implemented.

Kharge also accused the BJP of politicising the tragedy. "BJP likes to politicise everything. The same BJP, when told that a victory parade on an open bus in such a short time was not possible due to a lack of time to make arrangements, said that we were insulting the team. Now that post is deleted. BJP's intention of politicising everything is not healthy," he said.

Meanwhile, the Union Minister G Kishan Reddy directly blamed the Karnataka Government for the stampede that broke out outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) win in the IPL final and claimed the lives of 11 and injured 30 others. The Minister called it a 'complete failure' of the state government.

While speaking to ANI, Reddy said, "This is due to the complete failure of the Karnataka Government. Everyone knew there would be a huge crowd today (after RCB's win in the final), but no proper security arrangement or traffic management was done..."

Earlier in the day, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of being responsible for the stampede.

Kumaraswamy alleged that the incident was caused by the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister's "impatience, immaturity, and irresponsibility."

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar offered an apology. Speaking to ANI, DK Shivakumar said, "This should not have happened and we never expected such a big crowd...The stadium's capacity is 35,000, but more than 3 lakh people were there...Gates (of the stadium) have been broken...We apologise for this incident...We want to know the facts and give a clear message..."

He accused the BJP of politicising the incident. "BJP is doing politics...We are very sorry for the incident. We will work out a better solution in the future..."The Congress leader also said that all government events scheduled for tomorrow have been postponed after the tragedy."...Tomorrow, except the cabinet meeting, all programmes have been postponed. No celebrations, including the World Environment Day..."

The incident occurred near the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium when thousands of fans gathered to glimpse their favourite players ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations.

The Karnataka government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased killed in the stampede. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed a press conference and said the government would also provide free treatment to the injured.

"A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured," the CM said.

Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, "11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident."The Karnataka CM further asserted that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter."I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came," CM Siddaramaiah said.

RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article:
R
Rahul K.
Tragic incident that could have been avoided. Admitting mistakes is good, but why weren't proper crowd control measures in place? Bengaluru police should have anticipated this given RCB's massive fan following. Hope the inquiry brings accountability.
P
Priya M.
As a Bengaluru resident, I'm heartbroken 😢. The stadium area is always chaotic - authorities should've planned better. But politicizing tragedy is worse! BJP and Congress both need to stop finger-pointing and focus on victims' families.
A
Arjun S.
Compensation is good but not enough. Need permanent solutions - better crowd management tech, more trained personnel during big events. Our cities aren't prepared for such large gatherings. This isn't just Karnataka's problem but pan-India issue.
S
Sunita R.
Why arrange victory parade in such crowded area? Could have chosen Palace Grounds or other open space. Basic common sense missing. Feel so bad for families who lost loved ones during what should have been happy celebrations. 😞
V
Vikram J.
Both state and central governments failed here. Instead of blaming each other, they should work together on crowd management SOPs for sporting events. IPL is huge in India - we need proper protocols nationwide.
N
Neha P.
As an RCB fan, this victory will always be bittersweet. The team brought so much joy after 18 years, but at what cost? Authorities must learn from this - maybe virtual celebrations or ticketed events for safety. #RCBForever but safety first!

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