Bengaluru: Following public outrage over a deadly stampede during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) that resulted in the deaths of 11 people, the Karnataka government dismissed K. Govindaraju from his role as Political Secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday. The government has not officially disclosed the reasons for his removal; however, insiders suggest it stems from intense criticism from multiple cabinet ministers regarding the organization of the felicitation event for RCB players at the Vidhana Soudha.
Sources indicate that there was a heated discussion during a cabinet meeting on Thursday evening, where ministers expressed their displeasure. Reports allege that CM Siddaramaiah approved the celebration event under pressure from Govindaraju, who is also the President of the Karnataka Olympic Association.
During a press conference attended by BJP leaders, Union Minister for Large and Heavy Industries and JD-S chief H.D. Kumaraswamy placed blame on Govindaraju for the tragedy. He detailed how events unfolded on that unfortunate day, alleging, “One of the CM’s close aides had contacted then-Bengaluru Police Commissioner Dayananda and pushed him to allow the victory celebrations. The commissioner had clearly warned that holding two celebration events would pose security challenges, as police were already exhausted after managing crowds all night long. He then approached the CM, who called Dayananda and verbally instructed him to proceed with both events.”
Kumaraswamy added, “This individual is frequently seen with CM Siddaramaiah and his security detail. You in the media often hear CM referring to him as ‘Govinda’.” He further noted that while police resources were primarily stationed at Vidhana Soudha, three platoons comprising 25 personnel each from the Karnataka State Reserve Police were dispatched to the stadium, emphasizing that CM Siddaramaiah had explicitly ruled against celebrating at the venue.
The gravity of the situation has led to widespread discourse, highlighting the responsibilities of public officials during high-profile events.
Original Source: https://www.sentinelassam.com/more-news/national-news/karnataka-cms-political-secretary-govindaraju-sacked-after-rcb-celebration-tragedy
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Publish Date: 2025-06-07 11:21:00
