TVK chief Vijay video calls families of Karur stampede victims, assures personal visit and support
The stampede on September 27 during a public rally led by TVK chief and actor Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu, had left at least 40 dead and several injured.
Actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay on Tuesday spoke with the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede that killed at least 40 people at his rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur last month.
Speaking to them through a WhatsApp video call on Tuesday, Vijay expressed his condolences and assured the families that he would personally visit them, as reported by PTI and Mathrubhumi.
What happened in Karur?
The stampede occurred on 27 September during a public rally led by TVK chief and actor Vijay. As many as 41 people died in the stampede and several others were injured. The event drew a massive crowd, and preliminary observations suggested that lapses in crowd management contributed to the tragedy.
A day after the incident, Vijay announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh for each victim's family and ₹2 lakh for the injured. His statewide tour was also suspended.
Police arrested two of the party's functionaries: Mathiyazhagan, the party's Karur West District Secretary and MC Paun Raj, the Karur town functionary, and sent them to judicial custody till 14 October.
Cases were also filed against TVK's General Secretary Bussy Anand and Joint General Secretary Nirmal Sekar, who are currently on the run.
Amid the criticism, Vijay alleged a conspiracy by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) over the tragedy - a claim denied by both the MK Stalin-led party and the state police.
Earlier on 30 September, in his first public reaction to the incident, the actor released an emotional statement. "I have never faced such a painful situation in my life. My heart is aching, I am in deep pain," Vijay said.
"People come to see me in this campaign, the only reason behind it is love and affection. In my life, I have never experienced such pain. I will soon meet the victims," he said.
The TVK chief said he left Karur immediately after the stampede as he feared his presence might trigger an uncontrollable situation and hamper the safety of people. He expressed condolences to the families of all those who lost their loved ones.
Post the Karur stampede in his rally that left 41 persons dead, actor and party chief Vijay's similar events planned over the next two weeks are being "temporarily postponed", TVK said on Wednesday.
In a social media update, the party's official handle pointed out the Karur tragedy and said, "We are in anguish and regret over the loss of 41 of our brethren."
"In this situation, our leader's (Vijay) next two weeks' meet the people programmes are being temporarily postponed. The revised details of these would be announced later," it said.