<p class="bodytext">The long-awaited title win by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) – 18 years in the making – should have been a moment of unbridled joy for the city. Instead, it turned into a nightmare, with at least 11 lives lost and scores injured – many critically – in a horrific stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the team’s victory celebrations. The sheer negligence and the lack of foresight displayed by the authorities turned what should have been a day of celebration into an evening of mourning. The sequence of events reveals a shocking disregard for public safety. <br />The team’s arrival at the HAL airport, the initial celebrations at Vidhana Soudha, and the subsequent movement to M Chinnaswamy Stadium were all bound to draw massive crowds. Yet, the government and the police failed to anticipate the surge of fans and implement basic crowd control measures.</p>.Advice against holding immediate celebrations went unheeded, say police .<p class="bodytext">Appallingly, the celebrations continued for a while even after the stampede, showing insensitivity and a complete disconnect from ground reality. Bengaluru is no stranger to emotionally charged crowds. In 2006, when legendary actor Dr Rajkumar passed away, the city witnessed chaos and violence. However, in 2021, lakhs of people paid their respects to Puneet Rajkumar peacefully. These examples show that with proper planning and restraint, large crowds can be managed effectively. Why then, did the government fail so spectacularly this time? The BJP’s accusation that this is a “state-sponsored murder” may sound politically motivated, but it reflects a hard truth: the Congress-led government and the police were criminally underprepared. There was no comprehensive crowd management strategy, no barricades at the venue, no emergency medical arrangements, and no contingency plan. This was not a freak accident, it was the direct result of administrative incompetence.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The government cannot escape responsibility by offering hollow condolences. The real question is not who allowed this to happen but why no one saw it coming. Merely suspending a few junior officers will not suffice. The responsibility lies at the highest levels – the Chief Minister, the Home Minister and the police commissioner must be held accountable. The magisterial inquiry into the incident must be thorough and those found negligent must face consequences. The tragedy must serve as a wake-up call. Public celebrations of this scale cannot be left to chance. The government must establish strict protocols to ensure that no such disaster repeats itself. Today, Bengaluru grieves not just for its dead, but for the gross failure of a system that should have protected them.</p>
<p class="bodytext">The long-awaited title win by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) – 18 years in the making – should have been a moment of unbridled joy for the city. Instead, it turned into a nightmare, with at least 11 lives lost and scores injured – many critically – in a horrific stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the team’s victory celebrations. The sheer negligence and the lack of foresight displayed by the authorities turned what should have been a day of celebration into an evening of mourning. The sequence of events reveals a shocking disregard for public safety. <br />The team’s arrival at the HAL airport, the initial celebrations at Vidhana Soudha, and the subsequent movement to M Chinnaswamy Stadium were all bound to draw massive crowds. Yet, the government and the police failed to anticipate the surge of fans and implement basic crowd control measures.</p>.Advice against holding immediate celebrations went unheeded, say police .<p class="bodytext">Appallingly, the celebrations continued for a while even after the stampede, showing insensitivity and a complete disconnect from ground reality. Bengaluru is no stranger to emotionally charged crowds. In 2006, when legendary actor Dr Rajkumar passed away, the city witnessed chaos and violence. However, in 2021, lakhs of people paid their respects to Puneet Rajkumar peacefully. These examples show that with proper planning and restraint, large crowds can be managed effectively. Why then, did the government fail so spectacularly this time? The BJP’s accusation that this is a “state-sponsored murder” may sound politically motivated, but it reflects a hard truth: the Congress-led government and the police were criminally underprepared. There was no comprehensive crowd management strategy, no barricades at the venue, no emergency medical arrangements, and no contingency plan. This was not a freak accident, it was the direct result of administrative incompetence.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The government cannot escape responsibility by offering hollow condolences. The real question is not who allowed this to happen but why no one saw it coming. Merely suspending a few junior officers will not suffice. The responsibility lies at the highest levels – the Chief Minister, the Home Minister and the police commissioner must be held accountable. The magisterial inquiry into the incident must be thorough and those found negligent must face consequences. The tragedy must serve as a wake-up call. Public celebrations of this scale cannot be left to chance. The government must establish strict protocols to ensure that no such disaster repeats itself. Today, Bengaluru grieves not just for its dead, but for the gross failure of a system that should have protected them.</p>
