Stampede Tragedy Sparks Political Showdown in Karnataka

The Karnataka BJP has levied serious allegations against the Congress government in the aftermath of a tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL victory celebrations in Bengaluru. The incident claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others, raising questions about crowd management and government responsibility.

Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra openly criticized Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, reacting to his social media claims that the government could not have predicted the massive crowd turnout. The stadium, with a capacity of 35,000, was reportedly flooded with over 3 lakh fans.

Vijayendra accused the government of prioritizing publicity over the safety of its citizens, drawing attention to a perceived failure in anticipating fan enthusiasm. He suggested the government could learn from Uttar Pradesh's handling of the Kumbh Mela, which manages large crowds efficiently without incident.

(With inputs from agencies.)