A visibly emotional Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar broke down on Thursday while addressing the media for the first time since the tragic stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives during the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL victory celebrations.
Fighting back tears, Shivakumar described the incident as a “heartbreaking moment” for Karnataka and expressed deep anguish, particularly over the loss of children.
“We must learn an administrative lesson. Let the opposition do politics on dead bodies — I will list how many they’ve done politics on. But it hurts to see the little children. I have seen their pain,” he said, visibly moved.
His remarks followed an earlier apology on Wednesday. Speaking to ANI, he had said:
“This should not have happened. We never expected such a large crowd… The stadium’s capacity is 35,000, but more than 3 lakh people had gathered. The gates were broken… We apologise and want to know the facts to send a clear message.”
Shivakumar also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of politicising the tragedy.
“The BJP is doing politics over this incident. We are truly sorry. We will ensure such an incident never repeats. We will work out a better crowd-control solution in the future.”
The stampede occurred when massive crowds overwhelmed the stadium premises during RCB’s celebratory event, leading to chaos and deadly overcrowding.
In response, the Karnataka government has announced ₹10 lakh compensation for the families of each deceased victim and free medical treatment for the injured. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed the measures in a press conference and said a full inquiry is underway.
