Vijay’s TVK rally stampede: TN ADGP says organisers did not listen to suggestions for rally, people fainted due to heatstroke

According to News18 Tamil Nadu, Chennai ADGP said 500 police personnel were on security duty for Vijay’s campaign rally in Karur.

Addressing a presser, Chennai ADGP Law and Order Davidson Devasirvatham said people suffered heat stroke at the Karur rally last evening. He said the police had urged TVK to change the venue of the rally, India Today reported.

According to Live Law, the Madras High Court has agreed to hear “an urgent mention” made by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party seeking a suo motu cognisance into the stampede that killed at least 40 since last evening.

Students and women hold candlelight vigil in Thanjavur for those injured in Karur tragedy in Tamil Nadu.

Former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam says, “… My party want CBI inquiry (in the Karur stampede incident)…”

TVK has moved an urgent motion in Madras HC seeking probe into Karur stampede.

The HC has accepted the plea and the hearing will take place tomorrow.

Security outside the home of TVK’s Vijay has been increased amid row over stampede at his rally that killed 39 people in Karur.

On Karur stampede, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “Something is wrong in our country with crowd management. If you remember when innocent lives were lost at a stadium in Bangalore, and here children were killed, both incidents are very heartbreaking… For me, the argument is about what we can do as a systematic policy nationally to protect ordinary people.”

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan expresses grief on Karur stampede. “It is a very unfortunate incident and so many people lost their lives. I feel deeply saddened by it. I urge people to control their emotions in large crowds. Such incidents should not happen anywhere in the country,” he said.

Here are the visuals from the spot where a stampede took place yesterday during a political rally of TVK Chief Actor Vijay, killing 39 people.

TVK Chief Vijay releases statement on stampede incident that killed several people during his rally.

“Greetings to all who reside in my heart. In a way that defies imagination, thinking about what happened in Karur yesterday, my heart and mind are overwhelmed with profound heaviness. In the midst of the immense grief of losing our loved ones, I am at a loss for words to express the pain my heart endures. My eyes and mind are clouded with sorrow. The faces of all of you whom I have met keep flashing through my mind. The more I think of my loved ones who show affection and care, the further my heart slips further from its place. My dear ones… While I express my deepest condolences with indescribable pain to you who are grieving the loss of our cherished loved ones, I also stand close to your hearts, sharing this immense sorrow. This is indeed an irreparable loss for us. No matter who offers words of comfort, the loss of our loved ones is unbearable. Yet, as a member of your family, I intend to provide 20 lakh rupees to each family that has lost a loved one and 2 lakh rupees to those who are injured and receiving treatment. This amount is, of course, not significant in the face of such a loss. Still, at this moment, it is my duty as one who belongs to your family to stand by you, my dear ones, with a heavy heart. Likewise, I pray to God that all our loved ones who are injured and undergoing treatment recover swiftly and return home. I also assure you that our Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam will steadfastly provide all necessary support to our loved ones under treatment. By the grace of God, let us strive to recover from all this.”

TVK’s Vijay has announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for Karur rally victims’ families.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the “unfortunate incident at a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu.” The injured would be given Rs. 50,000, the PMO said.

Union MoS L. Murugan said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured all necessary support, and the Union Home Ministry has sought an explanation from the state government regarding the Karur stampede incident.

On the Karur stampede incident, Tamil Nadu Government Health Secretary, Senthilkumar says, “Already in this Medical College Hospital, there are more than 200 doctors working. Apart from that, in the nearby Medical College Hospitals, around 150-149 doctors, nurses, other forensic experts, they have been brought. Actually, we need, because it was night time and immediately we have to mobilize, but this hospital is endowed with a sufficient number of experts, but even then, because large number of deaths, post-mortem has to be carried out by forensic experts…”

Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udayanidhi Stalin called the deaths due to stampede a “huge loss” that “cannot be replaced”.

“We have advised the health department to make sure no further deaths occur due to the stampede. After such a scandal, it should not happen again, and for that, this government will take full action. CM has instructed that a single-person commission, headed by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, be formed to inquire about the stampede incident. Aruna Jagadeesan is expected to arrive in Karur today. Our Chief Minister will take legal action as per the report of the enquiry commission,” he added.

Speaking on the Karur stampede incident, the State Coordinator of the Legal Wing of TVK, Arivazhagan said that Vijay is in unimaginable grief, and “we’re also finding it difficult to speak at this time.”

“We’ll discuss the incident and our next steps with our president Vijay. We’ve been conducting our meetings based on the conditions provided by the police. After consulting with our party president Vijay, we’ll inform you about our next steps,” he added.

Tamil Nadu DGP G Venkataraman said that the crowd swelled due to the delayed arrival of the actor-politician to the venue, and they lacked sufficient food and water during the waiting hours under the hot sun, he told reporters here.

“An unfortunate incident happened; a regrettable one. As per the latest information, 38 people have died. They are 12 men, 16 women and 10 children,” he said in an early morning briefing.

He further said there was a crowd surge after the official Twitter handle of Vijay’s TVK party mentioned that he would arrive at the meeting venue by 12 noon.

“Permission (for the meeting) was sought between 3 pm and 10 pm. The TVK Twitter account said he will come at 12, and the crowd started coming in from 11 AM. He came at 7.40 PM. The people lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun.”

“Our intention is not to blame anyone, but we are just stating the facts,” the Head of Police Force added.

CM Stalin, in a deeply emotional message on X (formerly Twitter), said that “grief-filled cries” have not left his heart.

“The tears shed by the families of those who lost their lives throughout the night, and the pain caused by their grief-filled cries, have not left my heart,” he said, while sharing a video.

The video shows him meeting with the families of the victims.

HD Devegowda has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, and wished speedy recovery to those injured.

“Deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident during a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. I also wish a speedy recovery to all those injured,” he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Tamil Nadu’s Director of Medical Education (DME), Suganthy Rajakumari, said that the postmortem and handover of the bodies would be completed before Sunday noon. The director noted that the government had arranged accommodation, food, and other necessities.

“The total number of dead bodies we received is 39. The number of patients was 52. Only two patients are critical and on a ventilator. Before noon, we will finish all postmortems and hand over the bodies to the family members. Accommodation, food and other things have been arranged by the government,” Rajakumari told ANI.

Tamil Nadu Health Secretary, while speaking to the reporters, said that out of 95 people who were injured, all are stable except for one. The stampede at the TVK rally took the lives of 39 people.

A case has been filed against TVK functionaries in connection with the stampede that claimed lives during a rally. The FIR names the party’s Karur West district president, VP Mathiyazhakan, who was the chief organiser of the event, Mathrubhumi reported.

The oulte reported that he has been charged under four sections of the Indian Penal Code: abetment of attempt to murder (109), culpable homicide not amounting to murder (110), acts endangering life or personal safety (125B), and disobedience to orders from authorities (223).

An FIR has been filed against TVK functionaries and the organiser under several sections of the IPC.

Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has pinned the blame on DMK for the tragedy that killed 39 people, saying that it is both “shocking” and “disturbing”.

“For a political party’s gathering, it is the responsibility of the police to accurately estimate the number of attendees, select an appropriate venue accordingly, and deploy an adequate number of police personnel to ensure the safety of the public attending the event. There are also reports that electricity was disrupted during Vijay’s gathering,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), before adding, “The Tamil Nadu government and the police acting with such negligence is highly condemnable.”

He went on to say, “The DMK government, which deploys the entire district police force to provide security for gatherings organised by DMK members, has made it a habit to fail in providing adequate security arrangements for events held by opposition parties.”

He also urged DMK to provide compensation to the families of victims and probe the tragedy.

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has formed an inquiry commission, which will be headed by a retired High Court judge, to probe the tragedy. He has also announced compensation – Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to those who were injured.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the deaths in Karur, Tamil Nadu, where 39 people lost their lives during a rally. He extended his condolences to the family of the victims and said the tragic loss deeply saddened him.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday night paid a visit to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Karur, where several people injured in the tragic stampede were undergoing treatment. Stalin met and interacted with the injured and their families who had lost their loved ones. As per ANI’s latest update, he also offered floral tributes in memory of the deceased

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin has left for Karur by road from Trichi. He will be meeting the survivors of the stampede and is also expected to meet the families of the victims.

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#watch | Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin lands in Trichy from Chennai, heads to Karur by road.

As per the DGP in charge of Tamil Nadu, G. Venkatraman, 38 people have lost their lives in the stampede incident during a public event of TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) chief and actor Vijay,… pic.twitter.com/9fFtZzMZSl

— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2025

On the Karur stampede, Tamil Nadu’s acting DGP G. Venkatraman described the incident as deeply tragic. He said 38 people died, including 12 men, 16 women, and 10 children. The police have reviewed their response to the incident. Earlier TVK rallies had smaller crowds, but this time far more people attended than expected. Although organisers had arranged a large ground for around 10,000 people, nearly 27,000 gathered. Over 500 police personnel were deployed at the venue where Vijay was to speak.

Tamil Nadu’s acting DGP G. Venkatraman said the Karur stampede happened after large crowds began gathering hours before the scheduled meeting. The event was officially allowed from 3 pm to 10 pm, but people started arriving around 11 am and waited for hours without enough food or water. While actor Vijay appreciated the police efforts, he also noted that party workers should manage the crowd. Venkatraman added that the police cannot be expected to match their numbers to the entire crowd of 27,000. The exact cause of the tragedy will be determined by an ongoing inquiry, and a one-person commission has already been set up to investigate.