AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami expresses shock over Bengaluru stampede during RCB celebration that killed 11 people

New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday expressed deep shock and sorrow over the tragic stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during RCB's IPL victory celebrations, which claimed the lives of 11 people, including five from Tamil Nadu.

பெங்களூருவில் கூட்டநெரிசலில் சிக்கி
தமிழர்கள் உள்ளிட்ட 11 பேர் உயிரிழந்த செய்தி கேட்டு மிகுந்த அதிர்ச்சியும் வருத்தமும் அடைந்தேன்.

உயிரிழந்தோர் குடும்பத்தாருக்கு எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கல்.

மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சை பெறுவோர் பூரண உடல்நலம் பெற எல்லாம் வல்ல இறைவனை வேண்டுகிறேன்.…

— Edappadi K Palaniswami-SayYEStoWomenSafety&AIADMK (@EPSTamilNadu) June 5, 2025

In a post on X, the AIADMK leader Palaniswami conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased and extended prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured.
"Stuck in a traffic jam in Bengaluru, I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear the news of the deaths of 11 people, including Tamils. My deepest condolences to the families of the deceased," Palaniswami posted in Tamil.
He added, "I pray to the Almighty God that those undergoing treatment in the hospital may regain full health."
On Wednesday, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of being responsible for the stampede, alleging that the incident was caused by the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister's "impatience, immaturity, and irresponsibility."
Addressing a late-night press conference at his official residence in New Delhi, the Union Minister demanded that "the person responsible for this tragedy must be immediately sacked from the cabinet."
He criticised the Congress government in Karnataka as being run by "arrogant fools" and said, "We have a Chief Minister who is completely inactive. He has no control over the Deputy CM. As for the State Home Minister, there's no point in discussing it. He merely obeys commands."
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar offered an apology. Speaking to ANI, DK Shivakumar said, "This should not have happened and we never expected such a big crowd...The stadium's capacity is 35,000, but more than 3 lakh people were there...Gates (of the stadium) have been broken...We apologise for this incident...We want to know the facts and give a clear message..."
He accused the BJP of politicising the incident. "BJP is doing politics...We are very sorry for the incident. We will work out a better solution in the future..."The Congress leader also said that all government events scheduled for tomorrow have been postponed after the tragedy."...Tomorrow, except the cabinet meeting, all programmes have been postponed. No celebrations, including the World Environment Day..."
Shivakumar complimented the state police force for controlling the massive influx of people during the RCB celebrations."Again, I'm telling on record. I should compliment my Police officers...morning also, they wanted to have a procession, they wanted to bring a vehicle from the airport itself...Police guided us not to...that's why I rushed to the airport and ensured nothing went wrong...in Vidhana Soudha, also we were very cautious...," DK Shivakumar said.
Meanwhile, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal expressed condolences to families who lost their members in the stampede and said BCCI had no information that such an event was being planned."This is a very unfortunate incident... We had no information that such an event was being planned... If such events are planned in the future, then proper arrangements should be made... Those sitting inside the stadium had no information about the incident," Arun Dhumal told ANI.
The incident occurred near the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium when thousands of fans gathered to glimpse their favourite players ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations.
The Karnataka government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased killed in the stampede. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed a press conference and said the government would also provide free treatment to the injured.
"A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured," the CM said.
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, "11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident."The Karnataka CM further asserted that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter."I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days' time. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came," CM Siddaramaiah said.
RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (ANI)