- By Yashashvi Tak
- Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:14 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Tamil Nadu Stemped: DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai accused TVK chief Vijay over the stampede at a rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur district, where 38 people, including 8 children and 16 women, lost their lives. He said that visuals of parents mourning their children were “so, so disturbing.” The DMK leader blamed actor-turned-politician Vijay and his rally organisers for the tragedy, claiming that people were made to wait for hours under the hot sun.
"This is unbelievable. The tragedy that has unfolded, you can't believe that three children have died and the way the parents of the three children are mourning their death, the visuals are so, so disturbing," Annadurai told NDTV.
The DMK leader accused Vijay and his team of deliberately delaying the event to mobilise crowds, calling it a cheap ploy marked by criminal negligence. He insisted that those responsible, including Vijay, must be arrested and held accountable.
"This is a deliberate ploy made by the organisers of this event. They (people) waited for almost six hours. They were all there. Why did they (Vijay and team) do this? They did this so that there would be mobilisation of crowds. This is a cheap ploy by the organisers and there was criminal negligence," said the DMK leader.
"Whoever is responsible has to be arrested. And Vijay is culpable. He cannot escape culpability," the DMK leader insisted.
DMK further criticised Vijay, saying it was shameful that he was unwilling to follow rules and still wanted to become the Chief Minister.
"You (Vijay) are not even willing to follow the rules, and you want to become the chief minister. What a shame," said the DMK leader.
The DMK said Vijay is exploiting his star power for political gain and insisted he must take responsibility.
"He's an actor that is the reason why people were waiting and he took advantage. He wanted to milk them politically and see this is what has happened and Mr Vijay has to take responsibility. Vijay is culpable," the DMK leader asserted.
CM MK Stalin Announced Compensation
Chief Minister MK Stalin said the tragedy has “shaken all our hearts.” He announced that the families of the victims will receive a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.
"A one-person Commission of Inquiry, headed by Retired High Court Justice Mrs Aruna Jagadeesan, will be immediately constituted to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report to the government," said the Chief Minister, who is headed to Karur to meet the victims' families and those injured in the stampede.
Police Statement
According to the NDTV report, police said that the stampede began when sections of the crowd fell at a spot where thousands had surged forward. A senior officer estimated that nearly 30,000 people had gathered at the venue, where Vijay was to speak after his Namakkal rally, but his over six-hour delay caused the crowd to swell uncontrollably.
Lack Of Security At Vijay’s Rallies
This isn’t the first time Vijay’s rallies have faced scrutiny. Earlier this month, his debut rally in Trichy drew such massive crowds that his convoy’s 20-minute journey from the airport to the venue stretched into a six-hour traffic jam, bringing the city to a standstill.
BJP On Vijay Rally
"It's very, very sad and shocking. An irreparable loss. It should not have happened. It is the responsibility of the organisers and the state government machinery should have been extra conscious," said BJP leader Ashvathaman Allimuthu, according to the NDTV report.
When asked about the DMK’s allegation that Vijay deliberately waited for the crowd to grow denser, the BJP leader appeared to agree.
"It will be true because it is happening in every programme of Vijay. He comes only on weekends, which means more crowds. If there's more crowd, you have to be extra conscious," said the BJP leader.
Vijay’s Statewide Tour And Political Ambitions
Vijay has been touring across Tamil Nadu, planning to visit all 38 districts through public meetings, mostly held on Saturdays, with only one event scheduled on a Sunday.
ALSO READ: Karur Stampede Live: 'Shattered, Writhing,' Vijay Reacts After Tragedy Leaves 36 Killed | Updates
While the state has seen several actors attempt politics after MGR and Jayalalithaa, including Sivaji Ganesan, Vijayakanth, Sarathkumar, Kamal Haasan, and even Rajinikanth, who eventually stepped back, Vijay’s team argues his case is different. He is making his electoral entry at the peak of his acting career, aiming to leverage his current mass appeal to translate popularity into votes.