Stampede at TVK Chief Vijay’s rally leaves 34 dead, including children

A tragedy took place at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally organized by chief Vijay in Karur district, Tamil Nadu, which killed 34 individuals and left 46 injured.

Police officials told NDTV that the stampede was caused when a few visitors collapsed in the midst of a crowd surge.

A top police officer estimated that "at least 30,000 people had collected" at the meeting spot, where Vijay was going to address after his previous rally in Namakkal.

But he didn't arrive for more than six hours, in which time the crowd had swelled out of control.

MK Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, was shocked over the tragedy in a tweet on X.

"Reports from Karur saddening. I have ordered urgent treatment for those who fainted, and instructed the health minister, collector and former minister Senthil Balaji to help. The ADGP [senior police officer] has been tasked to restore normalcy. Minister Anbil Mahesh has been directed to extend help on a war footing. I appeal to the public to cooperate with the police," Mr Stalin said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared his grief over the accident.

"My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. Wishing strength to them in this difficult time. Praying for a swift recovery to all those injured," he said.

This is not the first time Vijay's rallies have been in the spotlight over safety. His first rally in Trichy last month attracted huge crowds, making a 20-minute drive from the airport to the venue a six-hour traffic congestion that crippled the city.

Reacting to this, police had imposed 23 conditions on TVK rallies, including barring convoys, public reception, and asking pregnant women, the aged, and physically challenged persons to watch events on television.

Courts also emphasized public safety and the responsibility of actor-politician, even while TVK leveled accusations of bias against the party. While Vijay repeatedly urged followers to follow these guidelines, most of them were disregarded by them, many of whom came with children and babies.

Madras High Court, in hearing TVK's petition against "tough and unfulfillable conditions" for its rallies, wondered if such regulations were being uniformly applied to all political parties. Justice N Sathish Kumar mentioned the disruption at Vijay's Tiruchi rally on September 13, commenting, "If anything untoward had occurred, who would be responsible? As party president, Vijay should be able to manage the crowds."

The Karur tragedy brings into question severe issues of TVK's responsibility as well as that of police authorities' preparedness. Doubts linger regarding whether Vijay's delay in arriving after so many hours was instrumental in the crowd rush, and whether adequate preventive action was undertaken despite advance warning. The families of the victims mourn, while Vijay remains silent about the incident.