The BRICS TimesAuthorities point to Vijay’s delayed arrival and inadequate arrangements as key factors behind the deadly Karur rally stampede.
Deadly Chaos in Karur Rally Claims 41 Lives
The aftermath of the Karur stampede has left at least 41 people dead and over 100 injured, sparking widespread criticism of rally arrangements. Victims’ bodies were returned to families on Sunday following post-mortems, while hospitals in Karur continue to treat the injured. Three of the victims are in critical condition.
Delayed Arrival of Vijay Cited as Major Factor
Police dismissed any intelligence lapse, stating that Vijay reached the venue late after a rally in Namakkal, causing unrest among attendees who had been waiting for hours. “Vijay also arrived three hours late to the venue in Karur after his rally in nearby Namakkal district,” said Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Davidson Devasirvatham.
Also Read Karur Tragedy: Stampede at Actor Vijay’s Rally Leaves 36 Dead, Several Injured
Legal Action Initiated Against TVK Leaders
An FIR lodged at Karur town police station named TVK Karur (North) district secretary Madhiazhagan, general secretary Bussy Anand, and joint general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar. They face charges under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 125 (endangering life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
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Police Cited Poor Crowd Management
Around 500 officers were deployed, anticipating a large turnout. The police requested that Vijay’s campaign bus stop 50 meters from the designated spot. “But they insisted on parking at their chosen location, and Vijay stayed inside the vehicle for 10 minutes, making the crowd restless,” Devasirvatham explained.
Also Read Severe Heat, Massive Crowd, Chaos… How Actor Vijay’s Rally in Tamil Nadu Turned Deadly
TVK Rally Exceeded Expected Attendance
TVK had requested permission for 10,000 attendees, yet around 25,000 people gathered. Police noted that organizers failed to provide basic amenities like drinking water and ignored conditions set by the authorities.
Political Conspiracy Claims Emerge
TVK lawyer S Arivazhagan suggested a political plot behind the tragedy and demanded a court-supervised investigation or probe by an independent agency. He also criticized state authorities, claiming that post-mortems were rushed without proper identification of victims.
Calls to Halt Future TVK Events
Injured rally attendee N Senthilkannan filed a petition requesting a ban on TVK rallies until all inquiries into the stampede are completed.
CM Stalin Meets Families and Announces Relief
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin met victims’ families on Sunday, expressing grief over the tragedy. “In the history of our state, never has such a large number of people lost their lives in a program organised by a political party, and such a tragedy should never happen in the future either,” he said. He announced ₹10 lakh ex-gratia for each deceased and ₹1 lakh for the injured.
“Once the truth is revealed, strict action will definitely be taken,” Stalin added regarding potential arrests of Vijay.
Opposition Leaders Criticize Crowd Management
Karnataka BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy called the stampede “unfortunate” and blamed both Vijay and the state government for poor crowd control. “Vijay is new with no experience. The government also failed to manage the crowd and should have acted earlier,” he said.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate echoed similar sentiments, stating, “Leaders are certainly responsible. I am deeply saddened by what happened. Today, we must stand with the families of the deceased rather than focus on questions and answers.”
Probe Committee Formed
CM Stalin has appointed Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to lead a committee investigating the Karur stampede, aiming to determine accountability and prevent future incidents.
Akshay Didwaniya
