Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy, while targeting Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 people, claimed that even after learning about the deaths, CM Siddaramaiah went with his grandson to eat masala dosa on June 4.
Addressing a joint press conference in Bengaluru on Friday, Kumaraswamy professed, "On June 4, at about 3.10 pm, the news of the first death in the stampede reached the government. However, they lacked the sense to postpone the event. They held the programme until 6 pm, and at the stadium, lakhs of people had gathered."
Kumaraswamy alleged, "In spite of having clear information on deaths and injuries in the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah went to one of the old hotels in Bengaluru with his grandson to eat dosa. This reflects poorly on the CM's conduct."
The CM had brought his grandson to the stage, and a video of his grandson taking a selfie with cricketer Virat Kohli had gone viral on social media.
"If CM Siddaramaiah had any shame, he would have thought about the plight of the families of the deceased victims," Kumaraswamy slammed.
He questioned the government's multiple probes: "The government wanted to show that it had taken measures regarding the incident before the High Court took up the suo motu PIL. However, the court is taking up the matter on June 10. The government first ordered a magisterial probe, then appointed a commission headed by a retired High Court Judge, and the case was also handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Which report are you going to accept?"
Kumaraswamy charged that CM Siddaramaiah had posted on X, inviting people to the felicitation programme for the RCB players at the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha.
During the felicitation, they presented low-quality and ordinary shawls to the RCB players, he alleged.
"My request to the Congress party is to take a call to oust both CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar from their positions and bring in a new face," he said.
"The deaths have happened due to their prestige issues. It's not good for the party," Kumaraswamy claimed.
The CM and Dy CM are only concerned about building their images and competing against each other. People are dying in between, he alleged.
Kumaraswamy also claimed that the government has not taken any action against the Intelligence chief as they had to consult their high command.
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