Bengaluru stampede: No permission was given for the event at Chinnaswamy stadium, says Yathindra
Responding to BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra's allegation that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar were responsible for the stampede, the Congress MLC argued that there was no reason for the Chief Minister to be held responsible.
'Had he given permission for the programme at the cricket stadium? No permission was given for the programme. They had organised it without permission, and the police were unable to make 'bundobust' (security arrangements),' he pointed out.
He said the stampede, which claimed eleven lives, was 'unfortunate' and the Chief Minister had taken action against the officials who were found prima facie responsible.
A judicial inquiry into the stampede is also under way and action will be taken against whoever is found guilty, he said. 'Let the probe be completed. Even before the inquiry, how can anyone be held guilty?' he asked.
Mr. Yathindra also sought to know what action had been taken in the BJP-ruled States, where stampedes had taken place. In Karnataka, the Congress government ordered a judicial probe and took action against the officials, who were found to be prima facie at fault.
Seeking to know the action taken in either BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, where a stampede had taken place during the recent Kumbh Mela, or Andhra Pradesh, ruled by the BJP's ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP), where a stampede had occurred at Tirupathi, he accused the BJP of 'hypocrisy'.
No threat to CM's position
Mr. Yathindra also sought to make it clear that there was no threat to Mr Siddaramaiah's position as the Chief Minister. He said the Opposition was making allegations regarding the same for the sake of politics.
On Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar visiting Delhi recently, Mr. Yathindra said the main discussion with the Congress leadership pertained to the caste census.
As the implementation of the caste survey was promised in the Congress party's election manifesto, the deadlock over the issue had to be resolved, he said while adding that a discussion on the stampede had been held along with it.
He clarified that no deadline had been set for Mr. Siddaramaiah's position as Chief Minister. To a question of whether Mr. Siddaramaiah will remain at the helm for the full five-year term, Mr. Yathindra replied in the affirmative.
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