RCB Victory Parade Stampede: BCCI Secretary Blames Local Organisers

As the nation continues to mourn the deaths of 11 people in a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations, top cricketing authorities have raised serious concerns over the planning and execution of the event.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia said the incident, which occurred outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, was a tragic outcome of poor crowd management and a lack of preparedness. “This is a negative side of popularity. People are crazy for their cricketers. The organisers should have planned it better,” said Saikia, extending his condolences to the bereaved families and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

Terming the tragedy an “anti-climax” to RCB’s historic IPL title win, Saikia stressed the importance of taking proper safety and security precautions when conducting large-scale public events. He cited previous high-profile celebrations, such as Kolkata Knight Riders’ parade last year and India’s T20 World Cup celebrations in Mumbai, which were conducted without incident, thanks to better planning and crowd control measures.

“After such a glorious ending to the IPL, this is deeply unfortunate,” he added. “There have clearly been lapses somewhere.”

Meanwhile, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal also expressed sorrow over the incident, clarifying that the celebration was not a BCCI event. “It is sad and tragic. The celebrations turned into a tragedy. Our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones,” he stated.

Dhumal said he immediately contacted the organisers once he became aware of the stampede and urged them to end the event promptly. “I am not even aware whether this was a planned or unplanned event. Whether fans were supposed to come or they came on their own,” he said.

According to Dhumal, even RCB officials inside the stadium were initially unaware of the chaos unfolding outside due to the overwhelming noise inside the venue. “When I told them about it, they assured me they would wind up the event.”

Drawing a contrast, Dhumal pointed to the IPL match in Dharamsala, where officials had successfully evacuated a stadium during rain, ensuring no injuries. “Not even one person was hurt there,” he noted, emphasizing that swift action and preparedness are key in such scenarios.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who met the RCB team at Vidhana Soudha as the tragedy unfolded, acknowledged in a press briefing that the crowd turnout had been grossly underestimated.

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