‘Where is justice?’: Oppn leader R Ashoka criticises exoneration of 3 IPS officers in Chinnaswamy stampede case

BENGALURU: Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka, on Wednesday criticised the Congress government over its decision to close disciplinary cases against senior officials in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, questioning who would be held accountable for the deaths of 11 people.

In a statement, Ashoka alleged that the June 4, 2025 stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium during the IPL victory celebrations was the result of “government-sponsored” mismanagement and sought accountability for the tragedy. “Who is really responsible for the horrific stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium? Where is justice for the 11 innocent victims of this government-sponsored incident?” the statement said.

The Opposition alleged that permission for celebrations at two venues on the same day was granted by the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. It further claimed that despite warnings from the police, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) Secretary Sathyavathi issued orders to proceed with the event in front of Vidhana Soudha.

ಕೊಲೆಗಡುಕ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ನೊಂದ ಹೆತ್ತವರ ಕಣ್ಣೀರಿನ ಶಾಪ ತಟ್ಟದೇ ಇರದು!

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಚಿನ್ನಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಕ್ರೀಡಾಂಗಣದ ಬಳಿ ನಡೆದ ಆ ಭೀಕರ ಕಾಲ್ತುಳಿತ ದುರಂತಕ್ಕೆ ಬಲಿಯಾದ 11 ಜನ ಅಮಾಯಕ ಯುವಕ-ಯುವತಿಯರ ಸಾವಿಗೆ ಅಸಲಿ ಹೊಣೆ ಯಾರು? ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಅಂದು ಮಾಡಿದ ಈ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಪ್ರಾಯೋಜಿತ ಕೊಲೆಗೆ ನ್ಯಾಯ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ?

ಅಂದು ಒಂದೇ ದಿನ… pic.twitter.com/y4drItRXc7

— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) July 15, 2026

The statement also named the then Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, alleging that she was overseeing the administration during the event. The BJP also referred to visuals of then Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar holding Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) flags during the celebrations.

On Tuesday, the Karnataka government issued orders closing the departmental enquiries against several IPS officers and senior bureaucrats linked to the stampede case. Among those exonerated were former Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vikash Kumar Vikash and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shekhar Tekkannavar. In Tekkannavar’s case, the government issued a warning advising him to act responsibly in future.

Following the government’s decision, the Opposition alleged that the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, DPAR Secretary and police officers had all been declared “not guilty”. “Then who is responsible for the tragic deaths of those 11 innocents? Did they come and die on their own?” the statement asked.

The leader further claimed that during the Assembly discussion on the issue, it had maintained that any enquiry conducted by the government would be an attempt to cover up the matter and alleged that the Congress government had no intention of delivering justice to the victims’ families.

“Those who, in the intoxication of power, shed the blood of innocents will not escape the curse of those mothers’ tears. Power is not permanent. The people have not forgotten anything. The people will certainly teach this ‘murderous Congress government’ a fitting lesson,” the statement added.

The Karnataka government has maintained that the decision to close the departmental enquiries was taken after examining the officers’ statements of defence and the opinion of the administrative department. (ANI)