Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay visited Karur on Friday to meet the families of those who died in the 2025 Karur stampede and hand over government job appointment orders to eligible next of kin.
During the visit, Vijay questioned whether adequate security arrangements had been made at the venue where the stampede occurred and said that accountability was necessary if lapses were found, PTI reported.
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Vijay stated that the Karur stampede in 2025 caused "immense anguish." "We have lost children of our sisters in 2025 Karur stampede," he said. He alleged that there had been attempts to shift the responsibility for the tragedy onto political opponents instead of examining possible admnistrative failures.
Vijay also criticised his political rivals, alleging that they had sought to politicise the tragedy instead of supporting the victims' families. He said that the families of the victims deserved answers and justice, adding that the focus should remain on identifying the causes of the tragedy rather than engaging in political blame games, PTI reported.
As cited by The Times of India, the Chief Minister reiterated that his government was committed to extending assistance to the affected families, including compassionate government employment for eligible dependants.
What was the Karur stampede incident?
The Karur stampede occurred during a TVK political event in September 2025, leaving 41 people dead and many others injured. The incident remains under investigation.
Following the tragedy, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe into the stampede.
Vijay's visit came amid a political row, with the opposition DMK approaching the Supreme Court alleging that his interactions with the victims' families could influence witnesses in the ongoing investigation.
The Supreme Court declined to restrain the Chief Minister from visiting the victims' families or making public statements, observing that it could not regulate the movements or remarks of an elected constitutional functionary.
The CBI investigation into the Karur stampede case remains underway, and no final findings on criminal responsibility have been revealed so far.
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