India, June 5 -- The tragic stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 people and injured dozens has triggered a political and public debate, with comparisons being drawn to past crowd disasters, including the Kumbh Mela stampede.

The debate was sparked after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, responding to criticism over the RCB victory celebration tragedy, said, "Such incidents happened in many places; I am not going to defend it by comparing them and saying that it happened here and there... 50-60 people died in Kumbh Mela. I did not criticise. If Congress criticises, then that is a different matter. Did I or the Karnataka government criticise?"

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