Chennai, 5 June (H.S.): AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has 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. In a post on X, Palaniswami conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased and extended prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured.

The incident occurred when thousands of fans gathered to glimpse their favorite players ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations. The massive crowd led to a stampede, resulting in the tragic loss of lives. Palaniswami's message reflected the sentiments of many in the state, who were deeply saddened by the incident.

The Karnataka government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured that the government would provide free treatment to the injured. The inquiry aims to determine the cause of the stampede and identify those responsible.

The incident has sparked a blame game, with Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy accusing Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of being responsible for the stampede due to his alleged impatience, immaturity, and irresponsibility. Shivakumar, however, has offered an apology and announced that all government events scheduled for June 5 have been postponed, except for the cabinet meeting. Shivakumar also complimented the state police force for controlling the massive influx of people during the RCB celebrations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary