JOIN USPoor crowd management by the police marred the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah at Kanteerava stadium in Bangalore on Monday.
While the swearing-in ceremony was to start at 11:40 am, the police, for reasons best known to them, started closing the gates at 10:45 am. This resulted in some unnecessary pushing and jostling with some of those standing in the queue trying to push their way to the gates.
At Gate 4 meant for entry of those with VIP and media passes, there was chaos. While there was ample space inside the stadium, the police refused to open the gates. Those who had come to the venue ahead of time with valid passes had a tough time.
Several legislators, including ministerial aspirants such as T B Jayachandra, were caught in the melee. Former minister Shivaraj Thangadagi came to the rescue of Jayachandra and tried his best to make way for him through the crowd. Former MLC Nirmala Venkatesh and former minister H M Revanna too were caught in the crowd.
The pushing and shoving went on for about half an hour. The police then suddenly opened the gates at around 11:15 am, much to the relief of those caught in the melee. A little planning could have helped manage the crowd better.