BJP MLAs and MPs of Karnataka protested in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Vidhan Saudh on Sunday and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar on the stampede in Bengaluru on June 4. In this sad incident, 11 people died and 56 others were injured. The protest was led by Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council R.K. Ashok and BJP leader Chalawadi Narayanasamy. BJP leaders expressed outrage, accusing the state government of negligence, which directly contributed to this tragedy. The protesters attracted both Siddaramaiah and Shivkumar responsible for the deaths and demanded legal action against them.
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The protesters demanded justice for the victims, carrying placards in their hands and shouting slogans. The most intense slogans included the demand for the removal of CM and Deputy CM from the post, some protesters called him a “killer” for his role in the incident. The stampede took place outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on the evening of June 4, where the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team gathered in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to celebrate the victory of the team. Despite the police’s warning and permission, the program continued, causing anarchy in a narrow area of the crowd. The death toll in the stampede increased to 11, while 56 others were injured.
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Speaking during the protest, Ashok accused the government of allowing the program to pursue the program despite the risk. He said, “This is a government -sponsored murder,” he claimed that the government’s decision to allow the celebration is in a great neglect of human life. One of the major issues raised by BJP leaders was a time for celebration. Ashok argued that the victory celebrations continued even after the first deaths. According to him, the first death occurred around 3:15 pm, but by the time the celebration program started at 4: 30-5:00 pm, by then many deaths had occurred. He later criticized Deputy Chief Minister Shivkumar for attending another celebration ceremony in the evening, where ₹ 1 crore firecrackers were burnt despite the ongoing tragedy.