Congress made similar demands: Ramdas Athawale echoes BJP's call for Karnataka CM's resignation

Ramdas Athawale. File Pic

Republican Party of India (A) chief and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale criticised Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for rejecting the demands made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar over the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede that claimed 11 lives, and said that it was not right since Congress has made similar demands during the Mahakumbh stampede, reported news agency ANI.

"Congress has made similar demands earlier. Mallikarjun Kharge is not right in saying that it is not right to demand the CM's resignation," Athawale told ANI.

Reiterating the BJP's demand for Siddaramaiah's resignation, he said that it was the job of the Opposition to demand resignation in such incidents.

He added that the Opposition parties in Karnataka were demanding CM Siddaramaiah's resignation for similar reasons Congress asked for the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the wake of the Mahakumbh stampede, reported ANI.

"After the Mahakumbh stampede, Congress demands UP CM's resignation. It is the job of the Opposition to demand resignations. Just like them, we are also demanding the resignation (of CM Siddaramaiah). There was a need to manage the crowd, but they did not succeed in doing so, which resulted in the deaths of many. This is why the Chief Minister should resign," Athawale said, reported ANI.

On Wednesday, Siddaramaiah dismissed the BJP's demand for his resignation over the Bengaluru stampede, accusing the party of "doing politics in everything."

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah questioned why BJP had not demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath when a stampede occurred during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj earlier this year.

"40-50 people died in a stampede at Kumbh Mela. Did they demand the Chief Minister's resignation then? A bridge collapsed on the day of the inauguration, and 140 people died. Did they demand the Prime Minister's resignation then?" CM Siddaramaiah asked while talking to reporters here. "The BJP has a habit of misleading people by telling lies and demanding resignations. The BJP does politics in everything," he said, reported ANI.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team was officially felicitated by the Karnataka government on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha (State Assembly) on June 4, before the stampede incident occurred at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Following the Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives and left many injured, the Karnataka government on June 5 suspended top police officials at the Cubbon Park Police Station and formed a one-man commission under a retired High Court Judge to probe the incident.

(With inputs from ANI)