‘CM, Deputy CM should resign right now’: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Bengaluru stampede

BENGALURU: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in connection with the June 4 stampede near Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured.

On Bengaluru stampede, Joshi told reporters, “The state government should bear moral responsibility. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar should not continue on his position even for a moment. CM and Deputy CM should resign right now.”

He also take a jibe at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, stating the Congress MP travels all over the world and “talks about everything”

“If there is a command in the high command, take action against DK Shivakumar first. Rahul Gandhi goes all over the world and talks about everything. He does not know about this incident…The government that mismanaged is behaving like a madman. Even after three people died near Chinnaswamy Stadium, the CM, Deputy CM, their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and IAS officers were taking selfies near Vidhana Soudha. Isn’t this an unforgivable crime?…Even after 11 people died, the program went on.”

Meanwhile, a Bengaluru Sessions Court on Friday remanded four individuals, including senior Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) official Nikhil Sosale and three event managers, to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the stampede.

They were arrested in a joint operation by the Cubbon Park police and the Central Crime Branch (CCB) at Kempegowda International Airport in the early hours of June 6 (Friday).

Earlier in the day, the Karnataka High Court granted interim relief to the office bearers of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), who had approached the court seeking the quashing of the FIR registered against them in connection with the stampede.

In an interim order, the court directed the state police not to take any coercive action against them until further orders. The High Court adjourned the case to June 9.

KSCA President Raghu Ram Bhat, Secretary A Shankar, Treasurer ES Jairam, and other KSCA office bearers moved the High Court seeking to quash the FIR.

Nikhil Sosale also approached the High Court to challenge his arrest. He claimed that he was arrested without any materials and even before the police had conducted a preliminary enquiry. He has thus sought to declare his arrest as illegal.

On Thursday, the Bengaluru police registered an FIR against the RCB franchise, DNA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., an event management company, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for culpable homicide, illegal assembly, and other serious charges.

A day after the stampede , the Karnataka police suspended multiple IPS officers, including the Bengaluru city police Commissioner, B Dayananda. Apart from Dayananda, Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shekhar HT, Assistant Commissioner of Police Balakrishna and Cubbon Park Police Inspector Girish AK were also suspended with immediate effect. (ANI)