Bengaluru stampede: Police were not in favour of RCB felicitation event, claims report

IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday turned tragic as a stampede broke out outside the iconic venue, leaving 11 dead and several more injured. read more
Police officers make way for an ambulance following a stampede at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Reuters
What was supposed to be a joyous occasion for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and its fans turned tragic, with a stampede breaking out at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru where a massive crowd had gathered to watch Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar and the rest of the team celebrate the franchise's maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
The tragic incident left 11 dead and reportedly 47 injured and has cast a shadow on RCB's historic six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the IPL final that took place in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, less than 24 hours before the stampede at the Chinnaswamy.
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Bengaluru Police reportedly weren't in favour of felicitation event
The franchise has since put out a statement offering its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede, with batting star Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma and others such as ex-RCB star AB de Villiers expressing shock and grief over the tragedy.
The stampede has also sparked a political battle, with the Bharatiya Janata Party – the party that has been in power at the Centre since 2014 – slamming Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as well as the Congress government that has been in power in Karnataka since May 2023.
RCB were initially supposed to go on a bus parade from the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the Karnataka legislature in Bengaluru, to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The parade, however, was ultimately cancelled and the celebrations were limited to the Chinnaswamy, RCB's home ground.
And as per communication between the Siddaramaiah government and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) that has been accessed by CNN-News18, Bengaluru Police were not in favour of hosting a felicitation ceremony at the Vidhana Soudha.
The KSCA had on 3 June, the day of the IPL final, written to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) seeking permission to host a felicitation event at the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha if RCB emerged victorious.
The DPAR, in turn, asked the city police for their opinion on such a proposal, and the latter reportedly replied in the negative.
Police sources also told news agency Press Trust of India that despite them making it clear that no bus parade would take place and that only those with valid tickets would be allowed to enter the Chinnaswamy, a huge crowd gathered outside the stadium to catch a glimpse of Kohli and the rest of the RCB team.
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CM Siddaramaiah, who claimed that over 2-3 lakh people had turned up for the felicitation event, has since ordered an investigation, with a report expected to be prepared in 15 days' time.

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