Karur: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Friday defended his role in the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives nine months ago, questioned the handling of the crowd by the police and launched a sharp political attack on the opposition DMK during his first visit to the city since assuming office.
The Chief Minister visited Karur to hand over appointment letters to family members of those who died in the tragedy. Speaking at a public gathering, Vijay said the stampede continued to weigh heavily on him and announced that his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), would build a memorial in memory of the victims.
The Karur stampede, which occurred during an election rally at Velusamypuram, claimed the lives of 41 people, including children, and left more than 100 others injured. The incident is currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Vijay recalls tragedy with emotion
Addressing the gathering dressed in black, Vijay described the stampede as one of the most painful incidents in his political journey.
He said the loss of lives continued to cause him immense anguish and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
“The Karur stampede caused immense anguish. We have lost the children of our sisters,” he said.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the victims would always remain in his thoughts and assured the families of continued support from the government.
Chief Minister questions police response
Rejecting allegations that his party was responsible for the tragedy, Vijay argued that crowd management during public events was the responsibility of the police.
He said he had relied on law enforcement authorities to regulate the gathering but was later blamed for the incident.
“I trusted the police to control the crowd, yet I was blamed for the deaths,” he said.
Questioning the security arrangements, Vijay alleged that authorities could have alerted his team if the crowd situation had become unmanageable. Instead, he claimed, the focus shifted towards assigning blame after the tragedy.
The legal investigation into the incident remains ongoing, and the CBI is examining the circumstances that led to the stampede.
TVK to build memorial for victims
During his address, Vijay announced that the TVK would construct a memorial in Karur to honour those who lost their lives in the stampede.
He said the city would always hold a special place in his heart and described the proposed memorial as a tribute to the victims and their families.
The Chief Minister said the initiative was intended to ensure that those who died in the tragedy would be remembered.
Sharp attack on DMK
Vijay also launched a strong attack on the DMK, accusing the former ruling party of attempting to prevent him from meeting the families of the victims.
He referred to the DMK’s petition before the Supreme Court seeking directions to prevent him from influencing witnesses during his Karur visit.
The petition was later withdrawn after the Supreme Court reportedly questioned the move, observing that the court should not be turned into a political forum.
Stepping up his criticism, Vijay alleged that corruption had existed across several government departments during the DMK’s tenure and claimed that public tenders had been inflated.
He further accused the opposition of attempting to obstruct the TVK government’s programmes.
Focus shifts to Karur bypoll
The Chief Minister also appealed to voters ahead of the upcoming Karur Assembly by-election.
He urged the electorate to deliver what he described as a strong political response to the DMK in the forthcoming poll.
The by-election was necessitated after former AIADMK minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar resigned as MLA and subsequently joined the TVK.
As political activity intensifies in Karur, the stampede continues to remain a significant issue in the state’s political discourse, with the CBI investigation expected to determine the circumstances surrounding one of Tamil Nadu’s worst election-related tragedies in recent years.