Chennai: The Karur stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally escalated into a DMK vs TVK slugfest on Tuesday, with the top star accusing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin of taking “revenge” on him and asserting that the “truth will come out”, and the state government releasing videos to allege violation of norms by his party.
Shortly after Vijay issued a video statement, saying that the DMK government may do anything to him, but should not touch TVK party people, senior state officials held a press conference where they made a presentation on the sequence of events that unfolded in the western Tamil Nadu district before and during the stampede on September 27 in which 41 people have died and over 60 were injured.
Talking to reporters later, senior DMK leader and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi said the wails and tears of the affected persons were unending.
Also ReadTN stampede: Vijay says not visiting victims to avoid ‘unusual situation’
The DMK government immediately stood with the people, she said, and faulted Vijay for leaving the place after the stampede. As a political party leader, he should not have done that, she said.
“Leaving the place without even saying comforting words and mindful of his own security—according to me, this is unprecedented,” she told reporters.
Meanwhile, a panel of NDA MPs constituted by the BJP, and headed by party MP from Mathura, Hema Malini, visited the stampede site and also spoke to the injured recuperating in a hospital. The panel questioned the choice of venue allotted to Vijay for the September 27 rally, which he addressed from atop a vehicle.
Although Vijay had responded to the incident on Saturday itself, hours after the stampede happened, sympathising with the victims’ families and promising compensation, he uploaded a detailed video response on his ‘X’ page on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old top actor said he has never faced such a “painful situation” in his life.
“I didn’t visit Karur as it would lead to an unusual situation. I will meet you (families of victims, the injured) soon,” he said in the video message.
His response came following criticism from various quarters for not visiting Karur and meeting the victims’ families and the injured.
Vijay said the truth about the incident will come out soon, and that he was ready to face action.
“You may do anything to me, but don’t touch my party people,” he said in the wake of his party colleagues, including senior leaders Bussy N Anand and C T R Nirmal Kumar, facing a police case in connection with the stampede in Karur district, located about 400 km from the state capital Chennai.
Seeking to take on the ruling DMK over the matter, he, referring to Stalin, said, “CM sir, if you have a thought of seeking revenge, you may do anything to me and not touch the party men.”
Vijay, who launched his party TVK in February 2024, has been highly critical of the ruling DMK and its president, Stalin.
On the day of the incident, he had left Karur hastily, considering people’s safety, he claimed.
Vijay insisted he did nothing wrong. “I did not do any wrong; my political journey will continue with renewed vigour,” the actor-politician added.
On the TVK being blamed for the poor security arrangements leading to the stampede, he said, “we did not do anything wrong. But they are filing FIRs against party leaders, friends, and social media users.”
Hinting at a political conspiracy, Vijay said he had campaigned in five districts, and asked, “but why did this happen in Karur? People know the truth, and they are watching everything.”
Meanwhile, at the press conference addressed by top officials, including Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) P Amudha, the state government released video clippings, allegedly showing violation of norms as TVK cadres climbed on the roof at Namakkal and Karur.
The officials contested claims on the choice of venue and said Karur Roundana had a petrol bunk, a drainage canal, and hence was not suitable for the meeting. ADGP (Law and Order), S Davidson Devasirvatham, among others, addressed the press.
The officials also said that the power supply was not suspended during actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, and the crowd surged to about 25,000 finally, as against the 10,000 anticipated by the organisers.
The organisers paid no heed to the police telling them that Vijay should halt 50 metres ahead of the designated spot due to overcrowding, they said.
The video clips also showed people experiencing suffocation and being moved in ambulance vehicles.
Attacking the DMK government, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami questioned the need for officials to address the media in place of elected representatives.
Lashing out at the Stalin-led dispensation, he said the government’s intention “seems to be hiding its failure in protecting people” and pinning the blame on others.
Also on Tuesday, senior TVK functionaries– Anand and Nirmal Kumar moved the Madras High Court with anticipatory bail pleas, following the police filing cases against them in connection with the stampede, while Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s Karur West District Secretary V P Mathiyalagan and Karur Central District Secretary Kasi Pounraj, who were arrested in connection with the case, were sent to 14-day judicial custody.
In Karur, the NDA MPs panel visited the stampede site and spoke to injured persons undergoing treatment.
Panel chief Hema Malini questioned the choice of the venue allotted for Vijay’s rally.
“Such a thing is unheard of, something very different. So who is responsible for all these things?” she said.
Panel member and BJP MP Anurag Thakur said the team would pose questions to officials and organisers. The truth is, common people have lost their lives, he said.
A questionnaire has been prepared, and this set of questions, which would be posed to the officials, he said, and added that for a free and fair probe, “we feel that a sitting Supreme Court judge must look into this.”
The panel members include those from BJP allies–TDP and Shiv Sena.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, along with senior party leaders, visited families of those who lost their lives in the stampede and described the incident as “beyond imagination.”
Meanwhile, TVK leader Adhav Arjuna was booked by the police for a deleted tweet allegedly calling for “Gen Z rebellion” against DMK, a post that drew strong condemnation from the ruling party.
DMK deputy general secretary and Lok Sabha MP, A Raja, said it was against the country’s integrity and sovereignty and called for Arjuna’s expulsion from TVK.
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