Facing intense backlash over the Bengaluru stampede case that claimed 11 lives, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Friday defended the state government’s response to the incident, stating they had done their best to provide justice and questioning, “what more can a government do?”
“Opposition party, BJP was asking for a judicial inquiry. The chief minister was kind enough to announce a judicial enquiry. What we have found, what we have got internally… an action has been taken on some of them,” the deputy CM said.
“Investigation is going on, the magistrate and judicial investigation. And again, the case has been referred to the CID. What more can a government do. The government has done its best,” he said, adding that the government will come out with a plan of action to avoid such types of events in the future.
"Let them (BJP) demand (my resignation). They are trying to do politics on the dead bodies. We don't want to do politics," Shivakumar stated.
His remarks came amid mounting criticism from the BJP, with the party demanding resignation of the top leaders.
On Friday, BJP state president BY Vijayendra demanded the resignation of the chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, and home minister G Parameshwara.
"Instead of making police officers scapegoats, the Chief Minister, DCM, and Home Minister must take moral responsibility and resign," Vijayendra told ANI.
In the wake of the tragedy, chief minister Siddaramaiah took some big steps including suspending Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda and four other senior officers.
Siddaramaiah’s political secretary, K Govindaraj, has been relieved from his post while Karnataka’s Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), Hemant Nimbalkar, has been reportedly transferred without a new posting.
CM Siddaramaiah said the state government has taken action against officials who were found to be "visibly responsible" and "negligent in their duty."
" We have taken action against those who were visibly responsible and found to be negligent in their duty," he said.
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