Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have expressed strong displeasure with the Karnataka government over their association with the IPL victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), during which 11 people were killed in a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4. At a meeting in New Delhi, Kharge and Rahul criticized chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar, emphasizing the need for the government to be more sensitive. They highlighted the importance of valuing human lives, unlike the BJP in Uttar Pradesh or the Left government in Kerala.

Rahul Gandhi emphasized the significance of being responsive to people and not shying away from taking responsibility for tragic incidents. The Congress leadership stressed the importance of maintaining a pro-people approach and avoiding actions that could tarnish the government's image.

Following the meeting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah defended the government's actions in response to the tragic incident. He mentioned the measures taken, including a magisterial inquiry, suspension of police officers, and the appointment of a judicial commission. Siddaramaiah clarified that the Kumbh Mela incident should be addressed before discussing the Bengaluru stampede, emphasizing that the government is not using one tragedy to defend another.

The Congress government in Karnataka has faced criticism from the opposition BJP and JD(S), who have held the chief minister and his deputy directly accountable for the stampede. Both parties have demanded their resignation and called for a special Assembly session to address the incident.

The stampede occurred on June 4 during the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations near the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. The tragic incident resulted in 11 deaths and 56 injuries.