‘State govt responsible’: BJP slams Congress for stampede during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations

BENGALURU: The BJP and its allies on Wednesday slammed the Congress government in the state for chaos over  what should have been a jubilant moment for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans, after the victory celebration turned into a scene of tragedy.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: On the stampede during RCB victory celebrations, Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra says, “The state government should take full responsibility for this tragedy. When the whole country and Karnataka were celebrating RCB’s victory, the state government’s… pic.twitter.com/M7nUBc9vZN

— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2025

A stampede occurred during the RCB’s historic IPL 2025 title win celebration at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Opposition parties in the state, including the Janata Dal (Secular), have squarely blamed the Congress government for what they describe as a complete failure of planning and public safety.

ಪೂರ್ವಸಿದ್ಧತೆಯಿಲ್ಲದ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ…
ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಪ್ರಾಯೋಜಿತ ಕೊಲೆ….

ಈ ಸಾವಿಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರವೇ ಹೊಣೆ…

— C T Ravi ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) June 4, 2025

BJP leader C T Ravi launched a scathing attack on the government for the alleged deaths, calling it “state-sponsored”. “Unpredictable celebration… State-sponsored murder. The state government is responsible for this death”, Ravi stated in a post on X.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: On the stampede during RCB victory celebrations, Karnataka Legislative Council LoP & BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy says, “This tragedy happened because of the government. They had no idea about how many people would come, what precautions would have to be… pic.twitter.com/YhzBiWOMjo

— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2025

Echoing the same sentiment, JDS leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy issued a strongly worded statement condemning the administration for the lives lost, as alleged by the JDS leader.

“What was meant to be a grand celebration of RCB’s long-awaited victory turned into chaos, tragedy, and loss of innocent lives. The massive turnout was expected, yet the State Government showed zero preparedness. No proper planning, no crowd management, no safety protocols — just a desperate rush to take credit,” he said.

Calling the incident “criminal negligence”, Kumaraswamy further alleged that six people have lost their lives during the chaos, adding, “This is not just mismanagement; this is a complete collapse of basic administration. Six lives have tragically been lost in a stampede that could have been prevented. Who takes responsibility? Once again, the Home Minister has failed in his duty to protect the people.”

The tragic event has now cast a shadow over RCB’s much-celebrated IPL win, where they defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS), ending RCB’s long wait for a maiden title as they won the match by six runs at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. (ANI)