Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra claims 11 died in RCB celebration stampede, demands judicial probe
Bengaluru, Jun 4 (PTI): Karnataka BJP chief B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday claimed that more than 11 people have died in the RCB celebration stampede and demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter.
According to official sources, at least four people were dead and several others injured in a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium as thousands of RCB fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the team after their first-ever IPL win.
Vijayendra accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of pressuring the police and organising celebrations without any preparedness and adequate police deployment.
"First of all, the state government, without any preparedness, should not have organised this today. If you would had seen the world cup match when India won, there was a big celebration in Mumbai also with lot of preparations. When lakhs and lakhs of people celebrated last night in Bengaluru, the state government should have thought before organising a function today itself," he told reporters here.
He alleged that the government went ahead with the celebrations even after senior officials of the police department advised them against organising function near Vidhana Soudha.
"Senior higher officers of the police department had advised the government not to organise any function near Vidhana Soudha, but they pressurised police department and forcefully organised the function. People have pelted stones, slippers. Luckily, no tragedy has taken place near Vidhana Soudha but whereas in Chinnaswamy Stadium..."
Vijayendra also visited one of the city hospitals where victims were rushed for treatment after being injured or falling unconscious during the chaos near the stadium.
"Is it not the responsibility of the state government to be prepared? Were they not aware that lakhs and lakhs of people will come to the celebrations? Without any preparations...I just spoke to victims...there was no ambulance available inside. No police arrangement was there inside the stadium. What nonsense is this," he added.
Claiming that more than 11 people have died in the tragedy, he said, "Few more people are very serious, children are serious..."
Demanding the state government to take up the responsibility for the stampede, he said, "Let the CM decide who has to take up the responsibility, because if I say anything today, it will be politics. I don't want to comment on anything beyond this, but I demand the chief minister to take up this matter seriously and he should refer the matter to a judicial inquiry."
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Smriti Mandhana named BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Star batter Smriti Mandhana, who played a pivotal role in India's historic 2025 Women's World Cup triumph, was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025 at a glittering function here on Monday.
Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh won the Emerging Player of the Year award, for her historic FIDE Women's World Cup triumph at just 20.
Preethi Pal was named the Para-Sportswoman of the Year, for winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in track and field, while Anjali Bhagwat was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising her pioneering career as India's first woman shooter to reach an Olympic final and her trailblazing success on the world stage.
Mandhana, who is currently touring Australia with the Indian team for multi-format bilateral assignments, said in a video message: "Thank you BBC for giving me the awardfor Best Sportswoman of the Year. 2025 was a special year for women's cricket, especiallytowards the end we had a World Cup and I'm happy I could contribute and help India win matches.".
At 29, the left-handed batter is already among the game's greats, with the second-highest number of centuries in women's One Day Internationals and ranking third in total runsscored among current players worldwide.
Hailing from Sangli city in Maharashtra, the affable Mandhana was inspired by her father and brother, both of whom played cricket at the district level.
In September last year, she made a 50-ball hundred against Australia – the fastest 50 over international ton (men and women) by an Indian in the format, breaking Virat Kohli's record.
The award winners were decided by a distinguished grand jury comprising Leander Paes, Deepa Malik, and Anju Bobby George.
Praising the athletes' achievements CEO of BBC News, Jonathan Munro said: "Congratulations to this year's winners who showcase the very best in sporting excellence. The BBC World Service is committed to bringing such stories of human endeavour and outstanding success to audiences across India and around the world.".
Additionally, the ceremony also celebrated a wide spectrum of talent and impact, recognizing star performers and changemakers for redefining the landscape of Indian sport.
BBC Star Performers of the Year 202.
• Indian Women's Cricket Team: for their historic World Cup victory.
• Ekta Bhyan, Deepthi Jeevanji and Preethi Pal: for their trailblazing performances at the World Para Athletics Championship.
• Indian Women's Cricket Team for the Blind: for their inspiring World Cup victory.
• Indian Women's Kabaddi Team: for their smashing victory in World Cup.
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BBC Changemakers of the Year 202.
• Indian Women's Ice Hockey Team: for breaking barriers in a non-traditional sport.
• Rajbir Kaur: Indian field hockey player and former captain of the women’s national team.
• Savita Punia: Indian field hockey player and current member of the national team.
• Paani Devi: recognised for her impactful contribution to grassroots sport.
