00:00And joining me now is another special guest. I'm joined by Aroon Dhumal, the IPL chairperson of the organizing committee.
00:07Appreciate you joining us, Mr. Dhumal. Very, very tragic what's happened in Bengaluru. Where does the buck stop?
00:14Does it stop with the RCB franchise, the KSCA organizers, the Karnataka state government, or indeed the BCCI and the IPL?
00:24Who will take accountability for the loss of life, sir?
00:27Indeed, very tragic, Rajdeep, the loss of life. What should have been a day of celebration today ended in a tragic day.
00:35And I would like to convey my heartfelt condolences to all the families who've lost their loved ones.
00:41Indeed, very tragic, but you understand and you know cricket very well. For BCCI, the IPL ended last night.
00:48Whatever celebrations were to happen, it culminated with the ceremony that we had last night.
00:53Now, how this incident took place, we have no knowledge of it. We had no idea of this kind of event taking place in Bengaluru.
01:01As you would have noticed, there was no BCCI official present there. And we don't know how it...
01:07So, you're saying you all had no idea of these celebrations? So, who was responsible for these celebrations?
01:13RCB, the franchise, Karnataka State Cricket Association, or the state government, Mr. Dhumal?
01:20This is for them to find out. How can I say here, when I have no knowledge of what is taking place in Bangalore?
01:27So, you all are saying, as far as you are concerned, the IPL ended last night.
01:32These celebrations are a private event that are conducted either by the franchise, or the association, or the government. Am I correct?
01:40Very right. And as you could recall, we had to stop the game in between in Dharamshala.
01:47But I was personally there, and we ensured that each one of those 25,000 people present there, leave the stadium safe and sound.
01:56But should the BCCI have at least been in some coordination with the organizers of this festival, or is the BCCI going to say,
02:05See, for BCCI IPL ended last night, when we had no knowledge of any such program, how can BCCI be responsible for anything like this?
02:17It is indeed very tragic, and we would like to convey our heartfelt condolences, but we can't be held responsible for anything which we had no role to play.
02:26But Karnataka State Cricket Association comes under BCCI. The ceremonies were being held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
02:34This stampede has taken place just outside gate 5 of Chinnaswamy Stadium.
02:38Surely the KSCA will have to order also an inquiry. Their role will also have to be questioned or not?
02:44See, I am not sure whether stampede happened outside Vidhan Sadha or the stadium. I have no knowledge of that.
02:52And who organized this event, I have no knowledge. Have you seen any of the BCCI officials present there and facilitating any of the players or the team?
03:02Will you question as IPL chairman RCB, which is the franchise which in a way is accountable to the IPL?
03:09I have no knowledge as to fans, whether fans came on their own or whether they called, who called them and who had gone there to felicitate them.
03:18It is for the administration there to check as to what went wrong and make sure this kind of incident never took place in future.
03:26Have you been in touch with any of the RCB officials, Mr. Doomal? Has anybody responded?
03:31As soon as I got to know of it, I spoke to them and I told them and they were inside the stadium.
03:36They had no knowledge of what was happening outside. This is what I was given to understand.
03:40And they told me we are calling off the event immediately and they did so, I feel.
03:44Okay. Arun Doomal ji, for joining me and telling us where the IPL committee stands on what this tragedy, unimaginable tragedy that's taken place in Bengaluru.
03:55I appreciate you joining me. Thank you so much.
03:57Thank you so much.
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