BENGALURU
Urgent review of crowd control bill needed to prevent future tragedies
With less than two weeks left before the three-month deadline to review the contentious Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Place of Gathering) Bill, 2025, pressure is mounting on a House committee led by Home Minister G. Parameshwara. The winter session of the state legislature in Belagavi is fast approaching, yet the committee has not held its first meeting.
The bill was drafted in the wake of the tragic June stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations, which claimed 11 lives and sparked widespread calls for stricter event safety protocols. It is one of two bills that were referred to committees during the monsoon session. The second — the Karnataka Revenue (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 — is being handled by a committee headed by Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda.
Parameshwara acknowledged the delay but remained optimistic. “I agree that we have taken time to convene meetings of the panel,” he said. “But I still hope to submit the report well within the deadline so that we can table the vetted bill in the winter session. I am confident because the bill is ready. We only need to incorporate the changes suggested by members. We will seek an extension only if needed.”
Speaker U.T. Khader had earlier stressed the urgency of the legislation, which aims to prevent dangerous crowd-related incidents and ensure public safety. “This is an important bill meant to prevent tragedies like the stampede that shook Bengaluru,” Khader reiterated, urging the committee to prioritise the task.
Despite mounting pressure, the Parameshwara-led panel is scheduled to convene its first meeting only on November 27. With time running out, an extension appears likely unless the committee accelerates its work in the coming days.
BOX
In August, Speaker U.T. Khader directed both committees to submit their reports within three months so the government could table revised versions in the winter session. While the Krishna Byre Gowda-led committee reviewing the Revenue Bill has made steady progress and is expected to submit its report by month-end, the committee headed by G. Parameshwara is yet to begin formal deliberations. Following repeated reminders from the Assembly secretariat, its first meeting has been fixed for November 27.
