Siddaramaiah Hits Back At Oppn Over Bengaluru Stampede Protest, Challenges BJP To Show Past Resignations

On the day BJP leaders and workers staged a protest demanding the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over the recent stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium, CM Siddaramaiah hit back with a sharp rebuttal, accusing the BJP of politicising the tragedy for partisan gain.

'BJP Leaders Abandon Street Theatrics': Siddaramaiah 

In a strongly worded statement, Siddaramaiah challenged BJP leaders to first present a list of resignations submitted by their own party members during similar incidents in the past.

“Regarding the tragic stampede incident near Chinnaswamy Stadium, I request the BJP leaders in the state to first release a list of BJP leaders who resigned during similar incidents in the past before demanding our resignation,” said the Chief Minister, as per a tweet on X.

Before @BJP4Karnataka leaders demand my resignation over the Chinnaswamy Stadium incident, I urge them to first release a list of BJP leaders who resigned when similar tragedies occurred under their rule.#ChinnaswamyStampede

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) June 17, 2025

He detailed the swift administrative action already taken in response to the incident, including the suspension of senior police officials, transfer of the State Intelligence Chief, and removal of his own political secretary. Furthermore, the state has constituted a judicial inquiry commission led by retired Justice John Michael Cunha to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Despite these actions, Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of continuing to fuel protests for political mileage.

"Despite taking such decisive actions, the BJP leaders in the state continue to protest. This makes it evident that their motives are political rather than driven by genuine concern for the people. Politicizing tragedies is not new to the BJP," he remarked.

Using a sharp metaphor, the Chief Minister added, “Even if an elephant dies in their courtyard, they have the habit of turning their attention to a fly on their neighbor's plate.”

He emphasised that the government empathizes with the grief of those affected and is committed to delivering justice. The CM also stressed that his government is accountable to seven crore people of Karnataka and will not hesitate to take stringent action based on the inquiry’s findings. "I urge the BJP leaders in the state to abandon their street theatrics and act in accordance with their conscience," he concluded.

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