The Congress party's top leadership has reportedly expressed strong disapproval of the Karnataka state unit's handling of the recent stampede in Bengaluru. The incident, which occurred on June 4th during celebrations for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory, resulted in the tragic deaths of 11 people and injuries to over 50 others.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Congress high command summoned Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to New Delhi to provide an explanation and address concerns surrounding the incident. Sources indicate that the central leadership was particularly critical of the perceived lack of adequate planning and safety measures for the large gathering. Rahul Gandhi, a prominent figure in the Congress party, reportedly voiced his dissatisfaction, stating that the incident could have been avoided with better precautions.
The state government has faced mounting criticism from opposition parties, including the BJP and JD(S), who have demanded the resignations of both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, holding them directly responsible for the mishap. The Congress government in Karnataka has come under intense scrutiny, with questions raised about the preparations and oversight of the event.
In response to the stampede and the subsequent backlash, the Karnataka government has taken several actions, including ordering a magisterial probe and a judicial inquiry led by a retired High Court judge. Five police officers have been suspended, the state intelligence chief has been transferred, and the Political Secretary has been relieved of their duties. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stated that the Congress high command has approved of these actions, viewing them as appropriate responses to the incident.
However, the Congress leadership has also emphasized the need for accountability and has instructed state leaders to fix responsibility for the failures that led to the tragedy. While the party has expressed concern for the loss of life, it has also indicated that it will not interfere with the judicial inquiry's course.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, there have been reports of a rift between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, with some suggesting that Siddaramaiah has attempted to distance himself from the event and shift blame towards Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah has stated that he was not involved in the event's planning and was only informed of the deaths later.
In an effort to address concerns about caste data and potentially alleviate some of the pressure from the stampede fallout, the Congress party has decided to conduct a fresh caste survey in Karnataka. This decision comes amid rumblings within the state's dominant communities regarding the reliability of the existing enumeration data. The new survey is expected to be completed within a few months and aims to provide updated information on the state's social demographics.
The Bengaluru stampede has presented a significant challenge for the Congress party in Karnataka, prompting internal scrutiny, external criticism, and a series of corrective measures. The party's top leadership is clearly concerned about the incident's impact and is taking steps to address the situation and ensure that such tragedies are avoided in the future.
