Bengaluru: JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, and Home Minister G Parameshwara should take responsibility for the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people, and should resign if they have morality.
He hit out at the government for suspending five police officers, including the city police commissioner.
“The suspension of five police officers with haste in connection with this unpleasant incident was unnecessary, if officials are made scapegoats for the mistakes of the government, can the officers work effectively? The government should have thought about it,” Kumaraswamy said.
On the suspension of police officers, Kumaraswamy said it was just for name’s sake. They will be reinstated after some time. The CM and the DCM are responsible for the tragedy. Their craze for power and publicity resulted in the tragedy, he alleged.
Kumaraswamy demanded that the Congress high command sack Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
“Both have to pay for the tragedy,’’ he said, adding that the victory celebration by the government at Vidhana Soudha was more like a family affair of both the leaders.
Vijayendra said the government has now made the RCB, KSCA, and an event management company as accused in the stampede case. But in reality, the CM, DCM, and the home minister are Accused No. 1, A2, and A3.
“When the event management company approached Cubbon Park police for permission for celebrations at Chinnaswamy Stadium, they denied it and it is on paper. Then why did Shivakumar go to the stadium? This has to be answered. The CM, DCM and the HM should resign on moral grounds,” he said.
Ashoka said why were prohibitory orders under Section 144 not imposed around the stadium when the government knew that a large number of people would go there? The government will bury this case as it has done about MUDA and Valmiki corporation scams. “With the government being an accused, it can’t order probes by its authorities. Only a sitting judge or CBI can probe the case,’’ he said.
