Karnataka CM, his Deputy meet high command over Bengaluru stampede, caste census

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar met with the Congress high command in Delhi to address the recent Bengaluru stampede tragedy and ongoing political issues in the state. The meeting, held at Indira Bhawan, included Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Also Read: Chinnaswamy stadium stampede leads BCCI to shift matches to Rajkot

The leaders submitted a detailed report on the June 4 stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory. “We have asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to hold a probe, and a one-man judicial commission led by retired Karnataka High Court Justice Michael Cunha is also investigating,” the CM said. He expressed deep regret over the tragedy and outlined measures taken, including the suspension of senior police officials and an FIR against event organizers. The Chief Minister assured the high command that the state government is committed to preventing such incidents.

On the contentious caste census, DK Shivakumar announced a fresh survey, citing the outdatedness of the decade-old report. He urged the people of the state to participate in this exercise in order to ensure there is accuracy,” he said, addressing concerns from communities like Vokkaligas and Lingayats. The meeting also tackled internal party dynamics and allegations of mismanagement, amid calls from the BJP for accountability.