What should have been a moment of jubilation for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans turned into a tragedy, as a stampede broke out during the team’s victory celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday (June 4). The chaos has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular), who have blamed the Congress-led Karnataka government for alleged mismanagement and a lack of public safety measures.
The celebrations followed RCB's historic win against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad- a six-run victory that secured the franchise’s first-ever IPL title. However, the festivities were overshadowed by reports of a deadly stampede during the event organised in their home city.
BJP's Pralhad Joshi criticises Karnataka govt
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi posted on X and said, "It is truly a tragedy that around 10 people died and over 30 were seriously injured in a stampede in Bengaluru. Such a heartbreaking incident took place due to lack of proper arrangements, planning and crowd management. The Karnataka state government has failed to fulfill its responsibility. Celebrations are taking place, but the state government's lack of proper planning and preparation has led to such a tragedy. Not deploying emergency services is extremely irresponsible."
"This unfortunate incident could have been avoided, but it is the government's failure that is responsible for this and the government must take responsibility," Joshi added.
DK Shivakumar says 'crowd was uncontrollable' in Bengaluru
Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, "I have spoken to the Police Commissioner and everyone. I will also go to the hospital later. I do not want to disturb the doctors who are taking care of the patients. The exact number cannot be told now. We appeal to the people to remain calm. We shortened the program. The program ended within 10 minutes. We are trying to make everything normal...Lakhs of people came."
"It was young vibrant crowd, we cannot use lathi, says Deputy CM D K Shivakumar on chaos during RCB celebrations. Crowd was uncontrollable, police was finding it difficult, so we had to stop procession," Deputy CM added.
This is not what people of Bengaluru deserved: Tejasvi Surya
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya posted on X and said, "Absolutely gutted by the tragic reports coming in from Chinnaswamy. What should have been a celebration of joy & loyalty turned out to be so fatal. While the state government & leadership were busy hogging their undeserving share of limelight in RCB's victory with the CM himself making an open invitation for the celebration, no arrangements were made on the ground.Despite being aware of the situation from last night, the government failed to plan this out & took bizarre last-minute decisions. Steps must be taken immediately to compensate the victims & hold the concerned accountable. This is not what the people of Bengaluru deserved," Surya added.
CT Ravi condemns state govt over Bengaluru stampede
BJP leader CT Ravi condemned the government’s handling of the situation, calling the incident a case of “state-sponsored murder.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ravi stated, “Unpredictable celebration... State-sponsored murder. The state government is responsible for this death.”
JDS leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy accuses Karnataka govt for mismanagement
Echoing similar sentiments, JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy issued a strongly worded statement, accusing the administration of gross negligence. “What was meant to be a grand celebration of RCB's long-awaited victory turned into chaos, tragedy, and the loss of innocent lives. The massive turnout was foreseeable, yet the State Government demonstrated zero preparedness—no proper planning, no crowd management, no safety protocols—only a scramble to claim credit,” he said.
Kumaraswamy further alleged that six people had lost their lives in the stampede, attributing the tragedy to “criminal negligence” and a “complete collapse of basic administration.” He added, “Who takes responsibility? Once again, the Home Minister has failed in his duty to protect the people.”
The incident has cast a dark shadow over what was otherwise a landmark achievement for RCB and their fans. While investigations into the exact cause and handling of the event are expected, the tragedy has sparked a renewed debate over public safety and crisis management at large-scale events in the state.
