As the Karnataka High Court prepares to hear a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on Tuesday regarding the death of 11 people in a stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB victory celebration last week, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar are set to be in New Delhi. There, they will brief top Congress leaders on the incident and subsequent developments that have put the state government under scrutiny. Sources revealed that the CM and DyCM have been summoned to meet AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. At the scheduled 11 am meeting, they will outline the timeline of events from June 4 and detail the steps taken by the state government in response to the tragedy.

Reportedly, the state leadership will argue that the incident was due to lapses by the police and event organizers, not the government itself. They will highlight actions taken, including the suspension of five senior officers—among them Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda—for serious dereliction of duty, and the transfer of the ADGP, Intelligence. The CM also removed his Political Secretary K Govindraj, and criminal cases have been filed against representatives from RCB, DNA, and KSCA. A one-man inquiry commission, led by retired High Court judge Justice Michael D’Cunha, has been set up to investigate.

Siddaramaiah has held the city police responsible for failing to keep the government informed about preparations. He has also dismissed the BJP and JD(S) demands for the resignation of himself, the Deputy CM, and the home minister. According to sources, the Congress high command has already received preliminary information via phone and is worried the incident could damage the party’s image—especially with a series of elections for local bodies approaching in the coming months.

Even though the tragedy occurred in Bengaluru, it revolved around cricket and drew youth from across Karnataka. The partys reputation may suffer as a result. These concerns are expected to be discussed during the meeting, sources noted. The CM and DyCM are also likely to deliberate on matters such as a potential cabinet reshuffle, finalizing the list for the upcoming MLC elections, and other political developments, sources added.

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