Following the tragic stampede at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL 2025 victory parade, which claimed 11 lives and left over 30 injured, BCCI Vice-President and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla came forward in defense of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stating that such incidents are not bound by geography and “can happen in any state.”
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Shukla said, “This is a very unfortunate and heartbreaking incident. But we must remember that large crowd mishandling is not unique to Karnataka. These things can happen in any state, and politicizing such a tragedy is not right.”
The remarks came amid sharp criticism from opposition leaders and public outrage over the poor crowd management during the parade. Critics have blamed the state administration and local police for failing to anticipate the crowd surge and enforce proper safety measures.
Shukla, however, emphasized unity during the crisis and urged political leaders to focus on supporting the victims’ families. “Now is the time to help those affected, not to assign blame. A detailed investigation will reveal what went wrong,” he added.
The stampede occurred outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where lakhs of fans had gathered to celebrate RCB’s maiden IPL title win. Chaos broke out when fans attempted to push through barriers, resulting in deadly overcrowding.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹10 lakh to each of the deceased’s families and assured that those responsible for the mismanagement will face strict action.
