Did any BJP leader quit over Air India crash: Siddaramaiah on Bengaluru stampede
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed the state Assembly on Friday regarding the tragic stampede that occurred outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which resulted in the loss of 11 lives. Expressing his deep distress over the incident, Siddaramaiah defended his government amid calls for his resignation from the BJP.
Defending his government against BJP’s demand for his resignation, he drew comparisons with other national tragedies. “In the Air India crash, did anyone from the NDA or BJP resign? Were those not people who died? Then why is the BJP asking for our resignation over this stampede,” India Today quoted Siddaramaiah as saying.
Siddaramaiah expressed deep sadness over the stampede incident, acknowledging that he should have apologised for the tragedy. He noted that the pain of the parents of the victims still troubled him, and he remained disturbed by the loss of lives. He shared that he had received information about the incident at 5:30 pm on the day it occurred.
Responding to criticism from the BJP, Siddaramaiah admitted he had gone to a hotel with his grandson on the day of the incident. “My grandson had come from London and I had brought him for the Vidhana Soudha RCB event. He said, ‘Let’s eat dosa.’ That is why we went to the hotel. At 5:30 pm, I learnt of the incident. This is the truth. You may believe it or not. From the hotel, I called the commissioner. He initially said one person had died. By then, 11 people had died,” he explained.
The Chief Minister further mentioned that his actions upon learning of the disaster. "I called the Home Minister and asked him to come with me to the hospital. We both went, we saw the dead bodies, and we were deeply hurt. It has disturbed me greatly. I immediately ordered an inquiry," he added.
Siddaramaiah outlined the steps taken in the aftermath, stating that on June 4, he ordered a Deputy Commissioner’s inquiry, and on June 5, a one-man commission of inquiry was established. The commission’s report was submitted on July 10.
Despite these actions, the opposition BJP has rejected Siddaramaiah’s explanation. Leader of the Opposition, R Ashoka, dismissed the Chief Minister's defense as "unacceptable." He criticised the government’s handling of the incident, claiming, "11 innocent people lost their lives. Here, Siddaramaiah says it’s not our fault, not the government’s fault, it’s the fault of the police. So, are the police not under this government?"
BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra also took aim at the Chief Minister, accusing him of shifting blame. “If government was not at fault, why have they taken Chief Minister's political secretary K Govindraj's resignation? Government is at fault,” he asserted.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
KSRTC to run 1000 special services to clear Christmas rush
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation will operate 1000 additional special services in view of the Christmas festival.
In addition to the existing schedule, the special services will run on 19.12.2025, 20.12.2025 and 24.12.2025. Further, special buses will be operated from various places of intra & Interstate places to Bengaluru on 26.12.2025 & 28.12.2025.
Special buses will be exclusively operated from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Shringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and other places.
ALSO READ: Bengaluru: Shopkeeper stabbed for refusing to serve free panipuri
Special buses from Mysuru Road Bus Station will be exclusively operated towards Mysuru, Hunsur, Piriyapatna, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, Madikeri.
The corporation has also announced a discount of 5 per cent on the fare if four or more passengers book tickets under a single reservation. A discount of 10 per cent will be extended on return journey tickets if onward and return tickets are booked simultaneously.
In addition to the above, special buses will be operated from all Taluk/District Bus Stands in the jurisdiction of KSRTC based on the traffic needs.
