The stampede at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay’s rally, that killed 41 people, has the state of Tamil Nadu on edge with politics rife on the tragedy. Multiple calls for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been made by the opposition parties, and a blame-game  has also begun. TVK has moved the Madras High Court seeking probe into the incident, citing “conspiracy” by the incumbent DMK regime. On the other hand, the Tamil Nadu DGP on Sunday listed a number of lapses blaming the TVK for mismanagement that led to the stampede. 

TVK chief Vijay on Monday held a video conference with senior leaders in Chennai, a day after the Karur stampede. Meanwhile, posters condemning TVK chief Vijay and showing him with bloodstained hands, have been put up in parts of Karur by the Tamil Nadu Students’ Association.

The deceased include 18 women, 13 men, five young girls, and five young boys. The massive crowd at actor Vijay’s rally on Saturday evening reportedly turned chaotic, triggering panic with many people fainting due to heatstroke as Vijay came to the rally after a delay of seven hours. 

On Monday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accompanied by Union Minister L Murugan and state BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran, met a family who lost their loved one in the stampede.

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DMK’s big accusations on Vijay

MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has held Vijay responsible for the entire stampede chaos in Tamil Nadu. The state DGP on Sunday said that the actor-politician arrived seven hours late to the rally, further swelling the crowd. He said that management was not adequate by the political party and arrangements for water were also not made to assist people.

The state top cop had said that many people fainted due to heatstroke following hours of wait for Vijay. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai even blamed Vijay for “planning the stampede”. 

“TVK wants to escape criminal liability by alleging that DMK orchestrated the entire Karur stampede,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu government has initiated a probe by the one-person commission of retired judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, who began the probe on Monday.

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on Monday morning called Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin to inquire about the Karur stampede. He also called TVK chief Vijay to express condolences over the deaths of his supporters in it, news agencies reported.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, in a video message, urged people not to spread any kind of rumour on social media over the incident. “Do not spread disinformation and rumours on social media regarding the tragedy that occurred in Karur. Everyone must behave responsibly,” the Chief Minister added.

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BJP leader calls for Vijay’s arrest

Most of the political parties are seeking an earnest probe by a central agency into the matter. BJP leader Annamalai said earlier that one cannot blame Vijay only as the state authorities were responsible for the management that were to be there in place. 

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Raja Singh shared a video on social media, and urges TN CM Stalin to arrest TVK’s Vijay over the Karur stampede tragedy.

“Who is responsible for all the deaths in Karur? I want to request the Tamil Nadu government to arrest this ‘duplicate hero’ (referring to TVK chief Vijay) immediately. Treatment could have been provided to those injured; however, over 40 people have died, including small children. Their parents, brothers, and sisters are heartbroken. On the other hand, this ‘duplicate hero’ posts on the social media platform X that the rally was very successful. It is very sad,” he said.

A bomb threat was also sent to TVK chief and actor Vijay’s residence in Neelankarai, after which a bomb disposal team, assisted by sniffer dogs, rushed to the spot and conducted a detailed search of the house. After thorough inspection, officials confirmed nothing suspicious was found.

Two pleas in Madras HC

Hours after the stampede, Vijay’s TVK moved Madras HC seeking an urgent hearing for a probe into the tragedy. Meanwhile, another petition was filed in the HC seeking to restrain Vijay’s party from holding public gatherings, rallies or meetings until the completion of the official inquiry into the Karur stampede tragedy.

A bench of Justice N Senthilkumar heard the urgent petition at 4:30 pm. The petitioner argued that these large-scale political gatherings without accountability could risk further loss of life, and urged that the state must complete a thorough investigation before granting permission for these rallies.

TVK chief Vijay approached the Madras High Court seeking a CBI or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Karur stampede.

On Sunday, hours after the accident, Vijay offered his condolences, “My heart is shattered,” he posted on X, announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the deceased. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced that the families of the people who died in the Karur stampede would receive two lakh rupees each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.