After deadly stampede in Bengaluru, Karnataka govt to formulate new SOP for mega events, celebrations

Bengaluru: Karnataka government will formulate a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for mega events, meetings and celebrations aimed at preventing any untoward incidents, state Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday. The initiative comes in the wake of the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday that claimed 11 lives.

Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said that the government will take strict measures identifying the lapses that led to the stampede near the stadium, where a large number of people had thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations. Eleven people have died and 56 have been injured in the incident. Among the injured, 46 have gone back home after the treatment, while 10 are at hospital and their condition is not serious according to doctors. "Aimed at preventing such incidents, the government, the home department will formulate a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). We will give instructions that from now on any mega events, meetings and celebrations, should be held within the framework of the directions issued by the police department," Parameshwara said. A new SOP will be formulated to ensure that such incidents never happen in the future, he said. "Such deaths shouldn't happen, innocents should not die, looking at the dead bodies it pains anyone....many of them were youngsters in 20-25 years of age. They came happily to celebrate, they wouldn't have expected to lose their lives. We will take strict measures identifying the lapses," he added.

Stating that such an incident never happened in the state's cricketing history, Parameshwara said, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting yesterday and has ordered for a megestrial inquiry into the incident under the leadership of Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner. "If any lapses are found, strict action will be taken against whoever is responsible," he said, adding that he didn't want to go into details, because an inquiry has been ordered. Respondent to a question about government not taking adequate measures and lapses on its part, the Home Minister said, "as you are aware there were celebrations (for RCB victory) almost entire Tuesday night on streets of Bengaluru. Again in the morning (Wednesday) atmosphere for this celebration (with team landing in city) was created...entire community in a way was in celebration frenzy." "No one expected about three lakh people to come against the stadium's capacity of 30 thousand. According to information from Bangalore Metro around 8.7 lakh people travelled till 11pm (on Wednesday). You imagine how much crowd had come," he said. Parameshwara said he would be visiting the incident site near the stadium and will also hold discussions with the RCB and Karnataka State Cricket Association representatives. Asked about the FIR reportedly not being registered in connection with the incident, he said, "anything technical, I will discuss with the Police Commissioner and DGP."

On questions being asked as to who will take the responsibility for deaths, the Minister said, on getting to know about the lapses, responsibilities can be fixed. Expressing relief that no untoward incident took place at the RCB team felicitation event in front of Vidhana Soudha, he said, "I heard about some sticks being thrown at the media alleging they obstructed the view....within 2-3 hours as the felicitation event had to be organised, some lapses might have happened." To a question about allegations that the government neglected senior officials' suggestions against holding the event in haste, he said, "there are such claims, let's see who said and when."