Tight watch as IPL returns to city
OB Bureau
After months of uncertainty, the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is gearing up to host Indian Premier League matches again, But safety will come first and government says that’s non-negotiable.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara said midweek that all safety recommendations will be implemented before the stadium hosts games, and additional police personnel will be deployed to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.
The state has granted conditional approval for the hosting of Royal Challengers Bengaluru home fixtures during IPL 2026. The Bangalore venue is expected to stage five matches for the franchise.
Speaking to the press in the city, Parameshwara said the government has issued directions to the RCB management based on recommendations made by the Justice Michael D’Cunha Committee.
A separate committee has also been formed under the leadership of Greater Bengaluru Authority Chairman Maheshwara Rao to supervise preparations.
According to him, Rao has conveyed to both the franchise and the cricket body that matches will be allowed only after the required conditions are fulfilled. The police department, he added, is reviewing the preparations on a daily basis.
“Our job is that if they create all the basic infrastructure, the police have to make additional security arrangements this time. We have already discussed it,” Parameshwara said, reiterating that a sufficient number of police personnel will be deployed around the stadium during match days.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) welcomed the development, calling it a significant moment for the city’s cricketing calendar. KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mrityunjay said extensive efforts had gone into ensuring that the matches are conducted smoothly.
“After so much effort, cricket is returning to KSCA. There will be five matches, including the playoffs and final, here,” he said.
Mrityunjay added that a formal agreement will be in place among the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), KSCA and RCB, in line with the prescribed guidelines. “We will hand over the stadium to RCB in accordance with the set norms,” he stated.
Security, he stressed, remains the top priority. He urged fans to cooperate with authorities and use public transport while travelling to the stadium to ensure smoother crowd management and better safety.
The return of cricket to Chinnaswamy comes in the shadow of tragedy. The state government had earlier banned cricket matches at the stadium following the stampede on June 4, 2025, in which 11 people lost their lives.
HL: Phone tapping row returns
Strap: Opposition alleges phones tapped to track Shivakumar as CM rejects charges & hits back
OB Bureau
The ghost of phone tapping is back to haunt Karnataka’s politics and the accusations are flying thick and fast. A fresh controversy erupted this week after Opposition leaders alleged that phones were being tapped to monitor Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who also heads the state unit of Congress. The charge quickly set off a political slugfest, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah strongly denying the claims and accusing the Opposition of spinning a political narrative.
The allegations were raised by Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy, who suggested that the surveillance was linked to the ongoing political dynamics within the ruling party.
Siddaramaiah, however, dismissed the charges outright, calling them “baseless” and politically motivated. In a sharp response, the Chief Minister said the accusations resembled the proverb that “a thief believes everyone else is a thief,” describing them as remarks born out of frustration.
He alleged that ever since the Congress returned to power in Karnataka, Opposition leaders had repeatedly tried to drive a wedge between him and Shivakumar.
“As much as they try to sow discord, it will not affect the cordial relationship we share,” Siddaramaiah said, asserting that both leaders remained committed to the party’s high command.
The Chief Minister also pointed out that some of the leaders raising the allegations had themselves held powerful posts in the past, including Chief Minister and Home Minister, when the state’s Intelligence Department functioned under their authority.
Siddaramaiah, in turn, recalled that allegations of phone tapping had surfaced earlier in Karnataka politics. In 2018, when Kumaraswamy served as Chief Minister, claims had emerged that phones of several seers, including the Adichunchanagiri pontiff, had been tapped, and a probe had reportedly found that multiple phones were under surveillance.
Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy fired back with a series of posts on X, accusing Siddaramaiah of spending more time responding to political criticism than focusing on governance. He maintained that he had merely responded to questions already circulating in the public domain about the alleged surveillance.
Kumaraswamy further claimed that despite winning 140 seats in the Assembly, the Congress government appeared to be grappling with internal conflicts. According to him, speculation linking the phone-tapping controversy to an internal “chair war” within the Congress is being discussed not only by the Opposition but also by sections of the press.
“When questions are raised, it is your responsibility to answer them directly rather than diverting the issue,” the Union Minister said.
With both sides digging in their heels, the latest phone-tapping row has once again thrown Karnataka’s political arena into the spotlight — reviving an old controversy and turning it into the state’s newest political flashpoint.
HL: No street marches over Khamenei killing: Govt
OB Bureau
Tension over events in the Middle East spilled briefly onto Bengaluru’s streets but the Karnataka government has now drawn a firm line. Home Minister G. Parameshwara midweek made it clear that no processions or protest marches will be allowed in the city condemning the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei.
Any expression of grief or protest, he said, must strictly remain within the legal framework. Speaking to the press in Bangalore, Parameshwara acknowledged that a section of the minority community regarded Khamenei as a spiritual leader and had naturally been distressed by his death.
“One section of the minority community considers Ayatollah Khamenei their spiritual leader. When he died, they were naturally pained and expressed their grief. However, it must be done within the legal framework of our nation,” he said.
According to the Home Minister, organisers had not sought permission for a procession, and the government had not granted any approval. Despite that, a procession was reportedly taken out, prompting police to initiate action.
“In the coming days we will not allow such processions because the court itself has ordered that no processions should take place,” Parameshwara said. He added that if groups wished to stage protests, they could do so at the designated venue of Freedom Park.
“We are strictly following these directions, and cases have been registered against those who took out the procession,” he said. Parameshwara also pointed out that the government had taken a similar stand earlier during protests related to the SIR issue in Bangalore.
“At that time too, we had advised Rahul Gandhi not to take out a procession. Similarly, we are now enforcing the law strictly,” he said.
While the city dealt with the fallout of the protest row, developments in the Middle East were also beginning to affect Bangalore’s travel network.
Authorities confirmed that 34 flights were cancelled at Kempegowda International Airport on Wednesday because of airspace restrictions in parts of the region.
Airport officials said the disruption mainly affected routes connecting Bangalore with major Gulf hubs including Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Dubai and Doha, and passengers were advised to check with airlines for revised schedules.
Parameshwara also spoke about Indians stranded in the Middle East amid the disruption. He said several people from Karnataka had already begun returning, with two flights bringing passengers back on Tuesday.
The Karnataka government, he said, has written to the Centre seeking assistance. “Our Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary have written to the Central government. They are making arrangements and efforts to bring all Indians back,” Parameshwara said.
For now, Bangalore remains on alert; balancing the fallout of international developments with the need to keep the city’s streets calm and its travel routes moving.