Royal Challengers Bengaluru planned victory parade 4 days before IPL final: Home minister | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Amid calls from the opposition that the govt apologise for the June 4 stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory celebrations, home minister G Parameshwara said the franchise had planned the team’s victory parade four days ahead of the IPL final. “Our magisterial inquiry prima facie found RCB finalised victory celebrations on May 29. A team met with Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials and sought police clearance,” Parameshwara told the assembly. He said the govt had taken all possible action against those responsible for lapses that led to the death of 11 people. He also said the govt has been pressing KSCA to shift to a larger stadium in Tumakuru and to develop a sports city in Devanahalli. “From filing FIRs against RCB and DNA networks to suspending senior police officers, transferring the chief of intelligence and removing the political secretary to CM, K Govindraj, we have taken action against all those who were found wanting,” he said. Parameshwara called June 4 “a black day” for sports in Karnataka and said FIRs were filed against RCB and DNA Networks because they bore “greater responsibility”. “While the govt gave permission, organisers had to be more responsible, and thus action was initiated against them. No one anticipated such an incident and there have been many of them in the country in the past,” he said, citing the Maha Kumbh Mela stampede earlier this year that killed 39 people. He said the govt was drafting new legislation for crowd control and preparing SOPs for political, religious, and sporting gatherings. However, deputy CM DK Shivakumar struck a different note, saying police should not be blamed, adding: “I ask the opposition to recognise the swift action initiated by the govt, unlike other states where stampede incidents occurred.” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he would reply to debate on Friday.