September 29, 2025
CHENNAI – It was a combination of factors, primarily poor planning and inexperience of political novices, including Vijay, heading the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the narrow stretch of the venue and a massive turnout waiting for hours together for which there was inadequate security, have led to the Karur stampede that claimed 40 victims.
Scheduled to address the rally at 12 noon, Vijay reached the venue, Veluchamypuram, only at 7 pm, after addressing a rally at Namakkal, where he was scheduled to speak at 8.45 am. However, the actor left Chennai only by 8.45 am, arriving at Namakkal around 3 pm. Though the TVK had sought permission to hold the rally at three places within Karur city, police denied permission citing that they were thickly populated business areas.
According to locals and survivors, from early morning onward, people from Karur and nearby areas had started gathering at the venue. By 4 pm, the crowd had surged and the crowd turned into a festive mood with the organisers maintaining that the actor-turned neta would arrive shortly and playing songs. Those following Vijay from Namakkal had joined the surging crowd, turning the area into a sea of humanity, leaving no space for mobility. With everyone attempting to get close to the caravan from which Vijay was speaking, the situation got aggravated.
“The TVK’s lack of an organisational structure and baking on Vijaya’s film charisma, was evident in this incident. No TVK functionary was there to extend first aid or help carry the affected to the hospital. They have completely vanished from the scene and Vijay too has left,” said CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam. AIADMK general secretary had advised TVK to learn from established parties on how to carry out crowd regulation. “The party should get involved in managing the rallies,” he said while blaming the police and the government for the tragedy. What they have left unsaid was that the TVK leadership is a political novice, ignorant of electoral dynamics and mass outreach.
Though the police had drawn flak from the Opposition, ADGP (Law and Order) denied that the police had failed to provide security. “500 police personnel have been deployed to provide security. There was no stone pelting or hurling of footwear and power disruption as alleged. Nothing of that kind had happened. Police investigation is on,” he told the media in Karur,
“While 137 police personnel were deployed for the meeting of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, it was 500 for Vijay with the Inspector General (Central Zone) camping in Karur itself,” he added.
Shifting the blame to the organisers, he said, “Besides the delay in the leader’s arrival, they did not heed the Dy SP’s request to stop the caravan at a distance in view of the crowd. Further, in our investigations, those who attended the rally said they had been waiting without food and water for long and the crowd turned restless. Our investigation will bring out the facts.”