'No father should have to face what I am facing': Father breaks down at son’s grave after Bengaluru stampede tragedy

A heartbreaking video showing a father mourning at his son’s grave has brought renewed attention to the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, which left 11 people dead and 47 injured during celebrations following Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) maiden IPL title win.

The incident occurred on Wednesday as thousands gathered to celebrate RCB’s long-awaited IPL win. Among the victims was 21-year-old Bhumik Lakshman, a final-year engineering student from Hassan district.

“What happened to my son should not happen to anyone. The land I had bought for him is where his memorial has been built. I don’t want to go anywhere else now. I want to stay here too. No father should have to face what I am facing," he says, lying down on the ground with his head pressed against the grave.

The Karnataka BJP shared the video on social media platform X, targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. The party accused them of prioritizing photo-ops at the Vidhana Soudha over public safety.

“Murderous CM @siddaramaiah sir, murderous DCM @DKShivakumar sir, if you had made up your mind, you could have taken a photo with your children and grandchildren in a luxurious hotel with a cup. But your insistence on taking a photo on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha has made 11 families wash their hands in tears every day. Can you give this father his son back?" the Karnataka BJP posted in Kannada on X.

The BJP’s criticism centers on the felicitation event for RCB players held at the Vidhana Soudha, attended by senior Congress leaders, including the CM and DCM.

Earlier, Lakshma had made a tearful request to the government, requesting that his son’s body not be dissected during the post-mortem.

“I had only one son, and now I have lost him. Please give me his body, don’t conduct a post-mortem and cut his body into pieces. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister may visit us (the victims of the tragedy), but they can’t bring him back," he had told reporters.

The Congress has pushed back against the BJP's accusations, claiming the opposition is politicizing a tragedy. The government says it is committed to supporting the victims’ families and ensuring accountability.

So far, four people have been arrested in connection with the stampede. Five police officials, including Bengaluru’s Police Commissioner, have been suspended. Disciplinary action has also been taken against the CM’s Political Secretary, K Govindaraj, and the state’s intelligence chief, both of whom have been dismissed.