'Joy Of Victory Should Never Come At Cost Of...': Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge On Bengaluru Stampede

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the tragic stampede in Bengaluru during celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory.

Describing the incident, which claimed at least 11 lives, as unfortunate and profoundly distressing, the Congress leader said: "My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured."

Expressing solidarity with the people of Bengaluru, he stated that the Congress party commits to supporting all efforts by the Karnataka government to provide relief, medical help and assistance to affected families.

"The state government and relevant authorities must immediately review and strengthen safety protocols for such events to prevent any recurrence of such tragedy. The joy of victory should never come at the cost of lives," he added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar appealed for public calm following the stampede incident.

He consulted with the Police Commissioner and other authorities to confirm the situation was being managed effectively. The Deputy CM also announced plans to visit the medical facility later to assess the situation.

Due to the massive turnout, organisers curtailed the event, concluding it within just 10 minutes. Shivakumar stated: "I have coordinated with the Police Commissioner and all relevant parties. I plan to visit the hospital later. I don't want to interfere with medical staff treating patients. We cannot provide exact figures at this time. We urge people to remain calm. We reduced the programme duration, concluding the event in 10 minutes. We are working to restore normalcy... Hundreds of thousands of people attended."