Following the June 4 stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations — which left 11 dead — Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the state government is considering relocating the cricket stadium to a new location to prevent future tragedies.
“Such an unpleasant incident should not happen under any government. Personally, this has hurt me and the administration,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that long-term safety measures, including the shifting of the stadium, are under active consideration.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed that his government did not organize the June 4 event and only attended it upon invitation from the KSCA Secretary and Treasurer. “They also mentioned that the Governor was to attend. I had no role in organising the felicitation,” he added.
While deflecting blame from his administration, Siddaramaiah confirmed suspension of five police officers and the transfer of the state intelligence chief and his own political secretary, stating that appropriate legal and disciplinary actions have been initiated.
The CM pushed back against calls for resignation from BJP and JD(S), stating, “Did the UP CM resign after the Kumbh Mela deaths? Did BJP or JD(S) ask for it?”
Adding to the controversy, a letter from DCP MN Karibasvanna surfaced, warning about security risks at the Vidhana Soudha, where the RCB event was held. The DCP had flagged that insufficient security staff could lead to major crowd control problems if the event proceeded.
Despite these warnings, permission was granted, and the celebration moved ahead.
Siddaramaiah maintained that the stampede resulted from mismanagement by law enforcement, not government negligence. “We have taken this incident seriously. There is no embarrassment for the government, as no wrong steps were taken,” he concluded.
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