What was meant to be a joyous Diwali celebration laced with gifts and a star-studded inauguration nearly spiralled into tragedy on October 19, when a sea of eager attendees overwhelmed a modest 7-acre venue in this quiet Karnataka town.

The “Ashoka Jana Mana 2025” event, organised by Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai’s Rai Estates Educational and Charitable Trust, drew an estimated 60,000 people—three times the site’s safe capacity of 20,000—for a mass lunch and distribution of household essentials like towels, spoons, steel thalies, saris, and bedsheets.

In the ensuing crush, 11 mostly women collapsed from suffocation, dehydration, and hypoglycemia, their gasps for air a stark reminder of how perilously close the gathering came to a full-blown stampede.

The incident unfolded shortly after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah departed the Puttur Taluk Stadium in Kombettu, leaving behind a powder keg of anticipation.

“People had waited hours under the sun for lunch and gifts,” said one eyewitness, a local shopkeeper who preferred anonymity.

“The MLA’s enthusiasm is legendary, but when the CM left, it was like a dam breaking—everyone surged forward.”

The chaos peaked as volunteers struggled to distribute items amid the throng, with several attendees trampled or pinned in the melee. Eleven victims, aged 20 to 67, were rushed to Puttur Taluk Government Hospital: Yogita (20), Sabha Madavu (20), Amina Patrakodi (56), Netravati Irde (37), Lilavati Kadaba (50), Vasanti Balnad (53), Kusuma (62), Ratnavati Perigeri (67), Afila Patrakodi (20), Snehaprabha (41), and Jasila (30). Three received IV fluids for severe dehydration and fatigue; the rest were treated as outpatients and discharged the same day.

Hospital authorities chalked it up to the “long wait in stifling conditions,” but locals aren’t buying the clean bill of health.In a public apology issued late Monday, MLA Rai expressed regret, blaming an “unprecedented turnout” exacerbated by afternoon rains and winds. “We had over 1,000 volunteers and elaborate arrangements, but the crowd far exceeded expectations, leading to some confusion,” he said, vowing better planning for future events.

The 13th edition of the apolitical Diwali program—meant to aid 75,000 beneficiaries with clothing and utensils—continued until 9:30 p.m., but not without scars. Rai, a Congress stalwart known for his annual giveaways, emphasised the event’s charitable intent, but critics see it as a popularity stunt gone awry.

Puttur’s townsfolk are demanding accountability: Why no capacity checks? Where were extra medics or barriers? “The MLA knows this ground like his backyard—it’s no Bengaluru stadium,” said activist Ravi Kumar, who petitioned for a probe. Opposition BJP leaders have piled on, accusing the Congress government of turning festivals into “death traps for photo-ops.” CM Siddaramaiah, who praised Rai’s “social work” during his speech, has yet to comment on the fallout, though he reiterated commitments like a new government medical college for Puttur