Govt, cops could have opted for planned revelry

Govt held felicitation event, attended by 1 lakh people, throwing the caution it advised to winds

- BALA CHAUHAN @bengaluru

WHILE the Chinnaswamy Stadium tragedy that claimed 11 young lives is shocking, another possible tragedy may be in waiting — a massive surge in Covid cases in Bengaluru. The lakhs-strong gatherings on Wednesday — around 1 lakh in front of Vidhana Soudha — for the felicitation of the IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team — and about 3 lakh around M Chinnaswamy Stadium who were trying to attend the celebrations inside — were in complete contradiction to the Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) advisory the Karnataka government issued on May 23.

Incidentally, on Wednesday, when the large gatherings led to the stampede, the Health and Family Welfare Department reported a massive jump in Covid cases, from 53 to 153, while the positivity rate was 25.8% and the case fatality rate was 1.3%. The state has recorded seven deaths in the latest Covid surge as of Thursday.