Union Minister Seeks Judicial Inquiry into Bengaluru Stampede, Slams State Government for ‘Systemic Failure’
Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, and MSMEs, Shobha Karandlaje, on Thursday visited the victims of the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives and left over 45 injured during the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) victory celebrations on Wednesday.
Following her hospital visit to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, Karandlaje wrote an urgent letter to the Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, urging suo motu judicial intervention and a high-level independent inquiry into the incident.
In the letter, the minister described the tragedy as “not just an accident, but a reflection of systematic governance failure and state negligence.” She added, “Only the timely intervention of the court can ensure accountability and restore public confidence in the rule of law.”
Karandlaje expressed alarm over Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s public statement, in which he disclaimed responsibility for the incident, stating that the state government had only organised the event at Vidhana Soudha, not at the stadium. She called this “a blatant attempt at whitewashing the role of the government and shielding officials responsible for gross mismanagement.”
The minister further criticised the state-ordered magisterial inquiry, pointing out that the investigation is being led by the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban, who reports directly to the state government. “Such an internal probe lacks independence and public trust,” she wrote, terming it “inherently biased.” Karandlaje noted that despite clear indicators of a turnout exceeding two lakh people, the event was organised without a comprehensive crowd management strategy, emergency medical support, or adequate ambulance deployment.
She described the situation as “a complete collapse of coordination between government departments and police authorities.” The stampede reportedly broke out around 4:45 pm, causing chaos outside multiple gates of the stadium as thousands tried to enter the venue.
In addition to calling for judicial intervention, Karandlaje urged the Chief Minister to announce a minimum compensation of ₹50 lakh for the families of the deceased and ensure free medical treatment for the injured.
“This tragedy is a sobering reminder of the consequences of administrative apathy,” she concluded, reiterating her demand for accountability and justice.
