Kanimozhi slams Vijay, TVK after stampede

DMK MP Kanimozhi strongly criticized Tamil Vetri Kalagam founder and actor Vijay, along with other party representatives, over the Karur stampede incident. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, she said that despite 41 people dying in the Karur rally, no TVK leaders have taken responsibility. She urged party leaders to accept accountability for the tragedy.

Kanimozhi pointed out that after the incident, Vijay left the site without even visiting the victims. She remarked that no responsible leader would act in such a manner. People came to see you, yet neither you nor your party representatives greeted them or helped the victims. She questioned TVK leaders about their commitment to people’s lives and criticized their negligence, asking why they did not even take time to console the affected families after such a major tragedy.

She urged focusing on supporting the victims rather than blaming others. Kanimozhi said TVK leaders are attempting to blame others, while holding DMK responsible is entirely unjustified. She added that the Chief Minister has also requested that no rumors be spread on social media and emphasized that this is not the time for blame but for standing with the victims. A one-member commission, including a retired justice, has been appointed to investigate the incident. They have already visited Karur to assess the situation, and the responsible parties will be identified once the report is submitted.

Education Minister Anbil Mahesh assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible. The commission is conducting its inquiry, and after the report is ready, further steps will be taken. He also advised students to value life, focus on studies, and prioritize their safety.

NDA committee visits Karur site An NDA team visited the Karur stampede site to understand what happened on September 26. They stated that such an accident has no precedent in Indian political history. Political rallies must be conducted safely, ensuring no inconvenience to attendees, and authorities should arrange proper crowd management. However, these measures were neglected in Karur. The committee noted that even a popular actor like Vijay should not have encouraged such a massive gathering without safety arrangements. They emphasized that the failure to control the crowd caused unnecessary deaths, and no one took responsibility for the victims’ families.

MP Anurag Thakur criticized the handling of injured victims, noting that despite 3–4 nearby hospitals, injured people were not taken there immediately, causing delays. He said that ordinary citizens lost their lives due to negligence, and called for a transparent investigation, ideally under the supervision of the Supreme Court, to uncover the truth. The report will be submitted to BJP National President J.P. Nadda. He also questioned the actions taken by intelligence and police officials on the day of the rally, criticizing the authorities and organizers for throwing water bottles at attendees during the chaos.

NDA Committee Formation

The BJP has formed an NDA team to investigate the stampede, with Hema Malini as convener. Members include BJP MPs Anurag Thakur, Tejasvi Surya, Brij Lal, Aprajita Sarangi, Rekha Sharma; Shiv Sena’s Srikant Shinde; and TDP’s Putta Mahesh Kumar.