After three days of political restraint following the Karur stampede that killed 41 people at actor-politician Vijay’s rally, the Tamil Nadu political stage turned charged on Tuesday. The state government had until then targeted his party leaders with criminal cases but kept Vijay out of the direct line of fire. That changed when Vijay released a video statement, confronting Chief Minister M K Stalin and shifting the narrative from grief to political challenge.

A message of grief and defiance

In a four-minute, 45-second video, Vijay addressed supporters in his signature composed yet dramatic style, with long pauses and measured words. He began with condolences for the families of the deceased, saying, “I never faced such a painful situation in my life before.” He thanked supporters for their “immense love and hope” during the tragedy.

But quickly, his words turned combative. “CM sir, if you are desperate to find fault with us, do it with me. Don’t touch them (my supporters). I will be here at home or at the office. Do whatever you want to do with me,” he said, directly addressing Stalin.

Turning tragedy into political confrontation


Vijay reframed the incident not as a lapse in crowd management but as a conspiracy. “I have gone to about five districts for campaigns, and why does this happen only in Karur? People know the truth. People are watching everything,” he declared.

He claimed locals in Karur had begun “revealing the truth” and likened their voices to divine justice. By suggesting the tragedy was engineered, Vijay sought to rally sympathy while discrediting the government’s narrative.

Allegations against police action

Vijay asserted that his party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), had conducted the rally at a government-allotted venue and “did not do anything wrong.” He accused the police of selectively targeting his party. “FIRs have been filed against our leaders and cadres, and even social media friends are being booked,” he said.

The star-politician then invited Stalin to train his political guns solely on him: “Do whatever you want with me instead.”

DMK’s cautious approach before Vijay’s statement

The ruling DMK had until then avoided dragging Vijay personally into the controversy. Police filed cases against TVK’s Karur district secretary V P Mathiyazhagan, state general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand, and deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Chief Minister Stalin underscored that the superstar himself was not being named in any FIRs and announced a one-person judicial commission, headed by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan, to probe the incident and fix accountability.

The political stakes ahead

Vijay’s intervention changes the political temperature significantly. By framing the stampede as a deliberate targeting of his movement, he has given his supporters a rallying cry. For Stalin and the DMK, the challenge is to avoid allowing sympathy for Vijay to snowball while ensuring accountability for the deaths.

Observers note that Vijay’s decision to step into confrontation marks a departure from his usually cautious political style. By directly challenging Stalin, he has placed himself firmly in the centre of the unfolding controversy, a gamble that could either strengthen his political base or expose him to harsher scrutiny.

Conclusion

The Karur stampede remains under investigation, but the politics around it has already shifted. With Vijay breaking his silence and taking aim at Chief Minister Stalin, what began as a tragic accident is fast becoming a test of political strength in Tamil Nadu’s heated landscape. The coming weeks are likely to see sharper exchanges as both sides seek to control the narrative.