Bengaluru witnessed a tragic stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 title celebrations on Wednesday, resulting in the death of at least 11 people, including a woman. The incident has sparked intense political debate over accountability and public safety measures.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice president and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said the ruling Congress party should not be blamed for the stampede. Speaking to reporters, Shukla emphasized that the tragic event should not be politicized and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
“This can happen in any state, and the ruling party should not be blamed for it. It should not be politicised. If this happens in a BJP-ruled state, we should not blame them,” Shukla said. He added that the government had stopped the roadshow to avoid any stampede or similar incidents but did not anticipate such a large crowd outside the stadium.
Shukla also revealed he spoke with the RCB franchise, which did not expect such a massive turnout for the celebrations. “Efforts are being made to provide maximum help to the families of the deceased,” he assured.
However, opposition parties, including Janata Dal (Secular), sharply criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government for what they described as a complete failure of planning and crowd management.
Union Minister of Heavy Industries and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy pointed to the absence of precautionary measures as the primary cause of the tragedy. “The tragic incident of a stampede near Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB victory celebrations, resulting in the unfortunate death of people, has left me deeply shocked,” Kumaraswamy said. “It is extremely painful to see innocent lives lost even before the celebrations could begin.”
The political backlash has added to the grief of the families affected by the tragedy, raising urgent calls for thorough investigation and improved safety protocols for large public gatherings in the future.