AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC General Secretaries K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar participated in a meeting held on Tuesday at the new AICC office 'Indira Bhavan' in New Delhi.
Congress High Command upset with state leadership over Bengaluru stampede
Bengaluru
In what could be seen as a major setback for top Congress leaders in Karnataka, the High Command is reportedly upset with the state leadership over the handling of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebration. The stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium during the event on June 4 killed 11 people and left over 70 fans injured.
Sources in the Congress told BLR.POST, “Rahul Gandhi, during the meeting, expressed strong disappointment with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and Home Minister G. Parameshwara.” Gandhi reportedly criticised the leaders for mismanagement in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The High Command has also expressed unhappiness with the way the situation was handled after the incident. It should be noted that the Karnataka High Court is also hearing a petition filed by RCB. The franchise has moved the HC seeking to quash the criminal case filed against it.
The source further said the High Command has also demanded the resignation of one of the top three leaders as a damage control measure in Karnataka. Gandhi reportedly believes that the incident has caused major damage to the party’s reputation, especially since the tragedy was prominently covered by international media. However, the state leaders are adamant about not resigning and are making efforts to retain their posts.
Home Minister cornered
Home Minister Parameshwara has been cornered within the state by both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. They have also conveyed to the High Command Parameshwara’s failure in handling responsibilities. Parameshwara is also facing heat from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which recently conducted searches at a medical college and an educational institute in Tumakuru linked to him, in connection with a money laundering case related to Kannada film actor Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case. A source said it would not be a surprise if Parameshwara was asked to step down.