India, June 18 -- Amid state-wide protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding his resignation over the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday mounted a sharp counterattack, accusing the saffron party of politicizing deaths while ignoring accountability during its own rule.

"The Chinnaswamy incident was unfortunate, and as a responsible government, we have taken full accountability," Siddaramaiah said in a statement, referring to the stampede that led to the deaths of several individuals during a ticket distribution event. "Top police officers have been suspended, the state intelligence chief has been transferred, and my Political Secretary has been relieved of ...