Karur Stampede Tragedy: Political Blame Game Intensifies After 41 Deaths At Vijay’s Rally

The aftermath of the Karur stampede, which claimed 41 lives and injured over 100 at actor-politician Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) rally, has triggered a fierce blame game in Tamil Nadu. Authorities handed over the victims’ bodies to their families on Sunday, while several of the injured remain in critical condition at Karur Government Hospital.

Police have attributed the chaos to overcrowding, citing that TVK had permission for 10,000 people, but nearly 25,000 gathered. They also pointed to Vijay’s late arrival and the organizers’ refusal to follow safety instructions, including restrictions on parking his campaign bus. An FIR has been filed against TVK leaders under culpable homicide and endangerment charges.

TVK’s counsel, however, dismissed the police version, alleging political conspiracy and demanding an impartial investigation. A petition has also been filed to temporarily ban TVK from organizing public meetings until the probe is complete.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin met the victims’ families, announced ₹10 lakh compensation for the deceased and ₹1 lakh for the injured, and appointed retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to head the inquiry committee. While BJP leaders called it a joint failure of both the government and Vijay, Congress leaders expressed condolences but emphasized accountability of political figures.

The incident, being described as one of the worst tragedies linked to a political event in Tamil Nadu’s history, has sparked questions over crowd management, political responsibility, and the safety of large rallies.