RCB Victory Parade Stampede: Officials Point to Miscommunication and Political Pressure

Bangalore, 5 June, 2025 - The frenzied celebrations following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory on Tuesday night spilled into Wednesday, ending in tragedy. Confused messaging over a victory parade and an open-air felicitation at the steps of the Vidhana Soudha led to a deadly stampede in central Bengaluru, claiming the lives of 11 young fans.

Sources revealed that despite Bengaluru police never clearing the parade, over two lakh people flooded the streets after announcements on social media by RCB management. The city police had advised holding the event at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with limited entry, citing serious security and crowd management concerns. “There was no time to prepare for such a large gathering in the central business district, as we had only a few hours,” a senior official stated.

Suggestions to postpone the celebrations until Sunday were dismissed by political leadership. “There was a frenzy on the city’s streets on Tuesday night, and our personnel were already tired doing bandobast all night. There was very little time to prepare. Against police advice, the political leadership insisted on an open-air event at the Vidhana Soudha and a parade,” said another senior officer.

Despite police clarifying by noon that there would be no parade, RCB's social media accounts had already announced it earlier in the day at 7 a.m., and reiterated the announcement at 8 a.m. and 3.15 p.m. This led to fans pouring into the streets in large numbers. The conflicting messages indicate the police's advice was not strictly followed.

The traffic police, while initially denying the parade, issued diversions “in case it happens” by 3 p.m., reflecting the pressure on authorities. The parade was officially cancelled only after stampedes broke out, resulting in fatalities. Meanwhile, the State government went ahead with felicitating the team at the Vidhana Soudha, in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.

With the stadium’s seating limited to 32,000, the crowds overwhelmed the area. The RCB management announced free passes via their website, but enforcement proved impossible. Gates were opened by 3.30 p.m., and the stadium quickly filled, leaving thousands outside. Chaos ensued, leading to stampedes.

Officials admitted that the simultaneous events, lack of preparation, and poor crowd control led to a tragic and avoidable loss of life.

Source : The Hindu