Siddaramaiah refers to Kumbh Mela in reaction to Bengaluru stampede, draws flak

Addressing a press conference, Siddaramaiah said, "Such incidents happened in so many places. I am not going to defend this by comparing it with them now, by saying it happened here and there.

"In Kumbh Mela, 50-60 people died, but I didn't criticise it. If Congress criticises, then that is a different matter. Did I or the Karnataka government criticise?"

Hitting back at Siddaramaiah, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi said, "One cannot escape from his responsibility by comparing to Kumbh. Kumbh and this incident can't be compared. First of all, the police denied then why did you (Siddaramaiah govermment) force them to give the permission? Secondly, I ask Siddaramaiah-ji why did they continue with the celebration after the occurrence of death?

"Why did the Deputy Chief Minister go to receive them? Is it the duty of the government? All leaders had brought their families and took selfies. Nobody is bothered about common people. Why did they continue with the celebrations?"

"In Kumbh, the government had handled the incident with utmost sensitivity. Nobody was clicking selfies there so such a comparison is not justified. The Bengaluru stampede must be judicially inquired," he added.

The mega celebrations at the tech hub Bengaluru turned into a nightmare on Wednesday when the crowd outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium swelled, went uncontrollable leading to the stampede that has also injured nearly 50 people.

During a press conference this evening, Siddaramaiah stated that the administration did not expect the tragedy, as the stadium can accommodate 35,000 people.

"But the number of people who turned up is estimated to be two-three lakhs. We assumed there would be as many people as the stadium would accommodate or a bit more, but not as many as had actually turned up," Siddaramaiah said.

He announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those who were killed in the stampede, and free treatment for the injured.

"I have ordered a magisterial inquiry into this tragedy. Appropriate action will be taken against the guilty. Instructions have been given to submit the investigation report within 15 days," he said.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday welcomed the winning team at the airport, from where the players were guided by a massive crowd on road.

The team had reached Vidhan Soudha, where the players were greeted.

RCB lift maiden IPL trophy

India's cricket icon Virat Kohli's wait for the maiden IPL trophy ended on Tuesday as Bengaluru scripted their first-ever title win in the cash-rich T20 tournament at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Kohli moved to tears on the ground as Bengaluru's wait for their maiden trophy ended in a moment which felt surreal for the franchise that had unsuccessfully played three finals in the past since IPL's inception in 2008.

Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings in the final, defending 190-9, which they piled in their quota of 20 overs.