Bengaluru Tragedy: BJP Blames State Leaders

In a scathing attack, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday criticized the Karnataka state leadership over the recent stampede in Bengaluru, describing the incident as a "state-sponsored man-made disaster." Poonawalla directly attributed responsibility to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, whom he labeled as A1 and A2, accusing them of deflecting blame rather than accepting accountability.

The BJP spokesperson further raised concerns about the decision-making process leading up to the tragic event. He questioned the urgency of organizing a large-scale program for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team on short notice, as well as the approval process for the parade's clearance. Poonawalla highlighted that, despite punitive actions against some officers, the political leadership has yet to face consequences.

Poonawalla also called upon Congress national leader Rahul Gandhi to enforce accountability standards for Karnataka's top officials. He argued that there should be consistency in how accountability is demanded of leaders, criticizing the current efforts as an attempt by state leaders to shield themselves from responsibility by shifting blame to others.

(With inputs from agencies.)