Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s political secretary sacked over RCB victory parade stampede

RCB Victory Celebration Stampede in Bengaluru left 11 dead and several injured. Following the tragedy, political secretary to CM Siddaramaiah was sacked and multiple officials, including police officers, faced suspension and FIRs.

Bengaluru: In a significant move following the tragic stampede at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory parade, the Karnataka government on Thursday sacked Dr K Govindaraju, the political secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. An official order relieving him of his duties was issued with immediate effect.

This development comes amid widespread criticism of the government's handling of the RCB victory celebration, which turned into a deadly tragedy. The stampede, which occurred outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4, left 11 people dead and over 30 injured as nearly three lakh people had gathered to witness the event.

CM's political secretary sacked amid public outrage

The decision to remove Dr Govindaraju is seen as part of a broader accountability push within the state administration. The Karnataka government has also taken several other corrective actions in the aftermath of the incident, including the suspension of multiple senior police officers and the initiation of a magisterial enquiry into the events that led to the stampede.

Government initiates corrective actions post-tragedy

In addition to administrative action, the Karnataka Police have filed First Information Reports (FIRs) against the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Administrative Committee, event management company DNA Networks, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), holding them partly responsible for the failure to manage the crowd safely during the parade.

BJP slams government, demands CM’s resignation

The opposition BJP has intensified its attack on the Congress-led state government, accusing it of gross negligence and using the IPL victory for political mileage without adequate planning or crowd control measures. Several BJP leaders, including Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra, have demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar.

The dismissal of Dr Govindaraju, a close aide of the CM, is widely interpreted as a signal that the government is under pressure to demonstrate accountability amid growing public and political outrage. Further developments are awaited as the enquiry progresses.