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.
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Allahabad HC orders FIR against Rahul Gandhi in alleged dual citizenship case
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday directed the registration of an FIR against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in connection with an alleged dual citizenship controversy.
The court also observed that after the registration of the FIR, the state government may seek the assistance of a central agency to investigate the matter.
The order was passed by a bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi on a petition filed by S Vignesh Shishir, who had challenged a January 28, 2026 order of a special MP/MLA court rejecting his plea for an FIR against Gandhi, who is also the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The special court had earlier held that it was not competent to adjudicate on issues related to citizenship.
The petitioner, a BJP worker from Karnataka, had sought registration of an FIR and a detailed probe into the matter, levelling allegations against Gandhi under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Official Secrets Act, the Foreigners Act and the Passport Act.
The complaint was initially filed before the special MP/MLA court in Rae Bareli. However, on the petitioner's request, the high court transferred the case to Lucknow on December 17, 2025.
The MP/MLA court in Lucknow subsequently dismissed the plea on January 28, 2026, prompting the petitioner to approach the high court, which has now ordered registration of an FIR.
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