What began as a celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic IPL 2025 triumph turned into a day of grief and controversy. A deadly stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday afternoon claimed 11 lives—including a woman and a class 9 student—and injured 47 others. As the state reels from the tragedy, a separate controversy involving Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has added fuel to the whole controversy.
DK Shivakumar Caught Slapping Fan on Stage
A video from the victory parade has gone viral, showing Shivakumar slapping a fan on stage and forcibly pushing him by the neck. The man was standing in front of where RCB players were seated when Shivakumar approached from the left with a garland. Without warning, he slapped the man from behind, grabbed him by the neck, and shoved him aside—before proceeding to place the garland on one of the players.
Not An Unusual Sight
This is not the first time the Congress leader has faced criticism for such behavior. During last year’s election campaign in Haveri, he was seen on video slapping a Congress worker who had put his arm around Shivakumar’s shoulder.
In another incident during the Covid-19 pandemic, Shivakumar slapped a man who tried to walk beside him. “…you should be responsible…”, he said after the slap, before asking cameramen to delete the footage. That episode occurred in Mandya during a visit to veteran Congress leader G. Made Gowda.
Meanwhile, the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium has shocked the city. The chaos broke out when a massive crowd gathered near the Cubbon Park gate ahead of the victory parade. Fans surged forward, reportedly breaking through the gates, leading to the deadly stampede.
Three victims were declared dead on arrival at Bowring Hospital, and four more succumbed to injuries at Vydehi Multispecialty Hospital on Vittal Mallya Road. With several others in critical condition, officials fear the death toll could rise.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rushed to Bowring Hospital soon after the incident. Deputy CM Shivakumar also visited the injured at various hospitals and met with police officials.
The Exact Number Of Deaths Is Still Not Known
"They have broken the gates. I think a lot of stampede has happened. I have spoken to the police commissioner and officials... the exact number of deaths is still not known. We are at it, we appeal to everyone to be calm," Shivakumar told reporters.
The incident has raised serious questions about crowd control and event planning, especially given the scale of the celebration. Authorities are expected to launch a full investigation, and the state government is likely to announce compensation for the families of the deceased and the injured.
No Confirmation For The Victory Parade
Earlier in the day, at 11:56 a.m., the Bengaluru Traffic Police clarified that only a felicitation ceremony would take place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and not a victory parade. However, confusion arose when the RCB management contradicted this statement. At 3:14 p.m., they posted on social media that a victory parade would, in fact, be held at 5 p.m., followed by celebrations inside the stadium.
"Victory Parade will be followed by celebrations at the Chinnaswamy stadium. We request all fans to follow guidelines set by police and other authorities so that everyone can enjoy the roadshow peacefully. Free passes (limited entry) available on shop.royalchallengers.com," the official post on X read.
This conflicting messaging left thousands of fans uncertain but hopeful. In the absence of clear, coordinated instructions and driven by the excitement of the occasion, an estimated 2–3 lakh people poured into central Bengaluru—far exceeding the Chinnaswamy Stadium’s 35,000-person capacity.