TVK leader alleges ex-Minister’s role in TN stampede, Madras HC registry refuses plea for CBI probe
A TVK party leader in Tamil Nadu is pushing for a federal investigation into the deadly stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur district, which killed 41 people. Aadhav Arjuna, the party’s general secretary for election campaign management, filed a petition in the Madras High Court calling for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. He accuses former minister V. Senthil Balaji, along with ruling DMK party members and state police, of plotting the tragedy as part of a larger effort to sabotage TVK events.
Arjuna points to a pattern of disruptions at Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) rallies across the state. In places like Namakkal, Trichy, and Nagapattinam, organizers faced denied permissions for good venues and got stuck with cramped spots that couldn’t handle big crowds. He says power cuts happened right in the middle of speeches, police showed up short-handed, and troublemakers tried to spark panic.
The Karur incident fits that same mold, according to Arjuna. “Just as Vijay was about to start speaking, the electricity went out, forcing the crowd toward a backup generator and causing chaos,” he explained in the petition. He also claims anti-social elements sneaked into the gathering and hurled slippers and stones at Vijay and the attendees.
What raises more red flags for Arjuna is how quickly state authorities seemed prepared. Hospitals were on standby before anyone even arrived, post-mortems wrapped up at midnight, and ministers rushed to the scene faster than expected. “This shows the DMK’s resolve to derail the rally no matter the cost,” he argues.
Arjuna insists the state government, which picked the rally venue in the first place, can’t investigate fairly due to obvious conflicts. He’s asking the court to shift the probe to the CBI for an unbiased look and to protect him and TVK chief Vijay from any interference while they visit grieving families in Karur.
But the Madras High Court registry turned down the petition over procedural issues, putting things on hold for now. TVK officials say they’re consulting lawyers to refile soon.
This bold call for a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede—and the direct shots at Senthil Balaji—has ramped up the political tension around the tragedy. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government launched its own one-person judicial commission, headed by retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, to dig into what went wrong.
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