B’luru stampede: BJP to hold statewide protest on Tuesday

Addressing a press conference, MLA K Gopalaiah said: “All MLAs, MLCs, defeated election candidates, district presidents, office-bearers and cadre will participate in the protest. Around 10,000 people will participate.”

Bengaluru: Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah announced on Sunday that the BJP would conduct a statewide protest on Tuesday demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddarmaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, holding them responsible for the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Addressing a press conference, he said: “All MLAs, MLCs, defeated election candidates, district presidents, office-bearers and cadre will participate in the protest. Around 10,000 people will participate.”

While welcoming the decision of the Congress government to conduct a fresh social and educational survey (caste census), Gopalaiah urged the ruling dispensation to provide accounts for the Rs 167 crore spent during the previous exercise.

He also slammed the state government for the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru, following the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL triumph, that led to the death of 11 people.

“This is a blackmark in the history of Karnataka. How is it that the chief minister gets to know about the death at 5 pm when it actually occurred at 3 pm,” he wondered.

He accused the government of initiating action on police officers to hide the “failure” of the government.