Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday defended the decision to go ahead with the RCB victory celebration in front of Vidhana Soudha, saying no untoward incident happened there.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, "The police department did not give comprehensive information about the police security arrangements at the venue. It was not a government event at Chinnaswamy Stadium, and I was not even invited for it. BJP and JDS are making politically motivated statements. Though the injured were admitted to the hospital at 3.50 pm, I got information at 5.45 pm that there was a stampede near the stadium and people died. The stampede should not have happened. It is very sad."
The CM’s reaction came to the DCP (Vidhana Soudha security) letter written before the event warning against holding felicitations at Vidhana Soudha ”hastily”, surfaced now.The CM, however, clarified that the event at Vidhana Soudha was organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and that he attended the programme as he was invited.On June 4, along with a felicitation to the RCB on IPL victory at Vidhana Soudha, a celebration was also organised at the Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, where a large number of people thronged, leading to stampede, in which eleven people died and 56 were injured.
A letter by DCP (Vidhana Soudha security) on June 4 to Secretary to the government, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), warning against organising the event hastily, and also highlighting that they did not have enough personnel to organise security for such an event, where a large number of people would gather, at short notice, has surfaced.The letter was in response to DPAR seeking his opinion on holding the felicitation event on the grand stairs of the Vidhana Soudha to honour the RCB players.
"The RCB cricket team has a fan following across the country. Organising the event in a hurry on the grand stairs of Vidhana Soudha will lead to lakhs of cricket fans arriving at Vidhana Soudha. This will lead to problems in bandobast since there is a shortage of officers/personnel in Vidhana Soudha security division,” the DCP’s letter said.As the RCB fan following is huge, police personnel from outside the city will be required for bandobast and it will require time, he further said, both law and order and the traffic police will have to coordinate for a mega event like this and there is not enough time.The officer said if the event is organised, the issual of online or offline passes for visitors to Vidhana Soudha should be completely stopped.
Also, as there are chances of the secretariat staff getting their family members for the event, an order should be issued aimed at ensuring that this doesn’t happen. It also sought a holiday in the afternoon for secretariat staff to ensure that they too don’t come there.The letter also calls for installation of more CCTV cameras in the vicinity of Vidhana Soudha, which is a vital installation and nearby places in view of the large gatherings expected; and highlights the need for an anti-drone system.
However, at the end, the DCP’s letter says that the Vidhana Soudha comes under the ambit of a heritage building and a vital installation. Keeping security in view, time is required to organise the event without causing any harm to the building and by following the rules Despite this, the government’s decision will be abided by.Responding to a question about the letter, Siddaramaiah, speaking to reporters in Mysuru, said, ”…at the end, what does the letter say? The police will act according to what the government decides. It did not come to me at all. DAPR secretary has given the permission.
Of course I was told. I said give permission to the event in front of Vidhana Soudha.” Questioning whether any incident happened during the event in front of Vidhana Soudha in which the Governor too had participated, he said nothing happened there.
The stampede incident happened at the stadium later.Asked whether DPAR secretary Sathyavathi will be suspended like five police officers, including the then Commissioner of Police B Dayananda, the CM asked, ”What has Sathyavathi done? What happened at Vidhana Soudha?” Noting that the DPAR Secretary asked him for permission in the regular course about holding the event in front of Vidhana Soudha and the Chief Secretary said it can be and the police have agreed, Siddaramaiah said, ”The KSCA Secretary and Treasurer met me and invited me. It is not organised by us. They had organised and I was invited. They told me that the Governor would also come. So, I had gone. Other than that, I don’t know anything.
The government has nothing to do…I was not invited to the stadium event.” The DCP in his letter has also mentioned the need to obtain a no-objection certificate from the PWD department regarding the stage, fitness certificate from an engineer regarding electric equipment used, also about anti-sabotage check.Asked whether the stampede incident had brought embarrassment to the government, Siddaramaiah said when the government has done nothing wrong, why embarrassment? Action has been taken against those who are at fault prima facie. ”Was resignation given after the Kumbh Mela stampede in which 50-60 people were killed?” Replying to criticism about him going ahead with the felicitation event, in spite of deaths due to stampede, the CM said, ”Actually at 3:50 pm death was reported at the hospital. I got to know only at 5:45 pm. Until then, I did not know about the stampede and deaths.” Responding to a question on the BJP’s protest demanding his resignation and legal action against him, Siddaramaiah said, ”What is the Chief Minister’s fault? The BJP is doing it politically. They are making false allegations against me. Where is the government wrong?” On the demand to shift the cricket stadium outside Bengaluru, the CM said, ”We will consider it….place has to be identified.”
*With Agency Inputs
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