Karur: Fresh tensions have erupted in Karur following the deadly stampede at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor-turned-politician Vijay’s election rally in Velusamypuram, with posters demanding his arrest surfacing across the town Monday.
The posters, credited to the Tamil Nadu Students’ Union, were put up at several key junctions, but were swiftly torn down by unidentified individuals within hours.
The public backlash comes in the aftermath of Saturday night’s tragedy, where a massive crowd that had gathered to see Vijay turned unruly, leading to a stampede that killed 41 people and left more than 60 injured.
Among the victims were a two-year-old boy, a 28-year-old mother and her two young daughters, and a 24-year-old engaged couple, underscoring the depth of the disaster’s impact on local families.
At least two of those hospitalised remain critical. Despite the magnitude of the incident, Vijay has not yet visited the bereaved families or those undergoing treatment.
Instead, the actor-politician took to social media Sunday to express profound grief and announced a solatium of Rs 20 lakh for each family that lost a member and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.
He also alleged that the tragedy could be the result of a ‘political conspiracy’ and approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, seeking either a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or an independent probe into the crowd crush.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin rushed to Karur in the early hours of Sunday, arriving around 3 A.M. to visit survivors at the government hospital. He paid respects to the deceased and assured comprehensive support to the victims’ families.
CM Stalin said that any action against Vijay or his party would be decided only after the findings of the ongoing enquiry led by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, who began her probe and inspected hospital conditions Sunday.
Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami criticised the government’s crowd-control measures, saying better police protection could have averted the tragedy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief and announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for each bereaved family and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The sudden appearance of posters and their quick removal signal the rising anger and political sensitivities surrounding the incident, as investigations move forward amid mounting calls for accountability.
