Actor Vijay, the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has hit pause on his statewide election campaign. Just five days after a tragic stampede in Karur, Tamil Nadu, claimed 41 lives and injured over 100 people, Vijay announced a two-week suspension of all political rallies. The incident happened during a massive crowd turnout for his rally on September 27.
TVK shared the news on social media, posting in Tamil to express deep sorrow. “In this time of pain over losing our loved ones, we’re temporarily postponing our party leader’s public meetings for the next two weeks,” the post said. “We’ll share new details soon, with our leader’s approval.”
Vijay hasn’t met the families of the victims yet, but his party pledged Rs 20 lakh in relief. Other parties stepped up too: Congress donated a total of Rs 1.25 crore to affected families, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh for each deceased person’s kin and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The Karur stampede unfolded at Velusamypuram on the Karur-Erode Highway. Fans gathered in huge numbers to see Vijay, but his delayed arrival sparked chaos. As the crowd surged forward, people trampled each other, leading to the deadly rush.
Political reactions poured in quickly. DMK MLA and minister V Senthilbalaji urged everyone to avoid turning the Tamil Nadu stampede into a political fight. Speaking at a press conference in Karur, he said, “Out of the 41 victims, 39 were locals. Let’s not point fingers—instead, work together to stop this from happening again, no matter which party hosts an event.”
Senthilbalaji stressed that organizing parties must gauge crowd sizes and pick safe venues. “At Karur Lighthouse Corner, only about 7,000 people can fit safely. Near Uzhavar Sandhai, it’s even less—around 5,000,” he explained. He noted TVK had switched locations multiple times, first requesting Lighthouse Corner, then Uzhavar Sandhai, and finally Velusamypuram.
Tamil Nadu Minister KN Nehru fired back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for politicizing the Karur tragedy. “Tamil Nadu’s people won’t buy these political tricks—they know the truth,” Nehru told reporters. He slammed a BJP fact-finding team sent to the state, calling it an attempt to stir controversy and damage the region’s image.
On the legal front, police arrested two TVK leaders: Mathiyazhagan, the Karur West District Secretary, and MC Paun Raj, the town functionary. A court remanded them to judicial custody until October 14.
Vijay shared his heartbreak in his first public statement after the stampede. “I’ve never felt pain like this in my life. My heart aches—people come to my events out of love, and this tragedy hurts deeply,” he said. He promised to meet the victims soon.
Addressing Chief Minister MK Stalin, Vijay pleaded, “Sir, please don’t target my party workers. Come after me if needed—I’m at home or the office—but spare them.” He explained leaving Karur right after the incident to prevent further unrest and protect the crowd.
The BJP didn’t stay silent. An eight-member NDA-BJP delegation, led by national president JP Nadda, visited the stampede site and a local hospital on Tuesday. They talked to eyewitnesses and checked on the injured. Party leader Karate Thiagarajan said a report on the Tamil Nadu stampede would come out soon. He also pointed out that Congress veteran P Chidambaram hasn’t fully supported DMK, blaming both the ruling party and Vijay for the mishap.
The Karur stampede has sparked calls for better crowd management at political rallies across India. As investigations continue, parties from all sides emphasize unity to prevent future tragedies.
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