The death of people in the stampede at actor Vijay’s Karur rally and his attitude is threatening the political aspirations, the tough stance of the High Court and the aggressive opposition are threatening the existence of TVK.
40 people died in a stampede at the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam Party (TVK) rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The crowd went wild to see actor-turned-politician Vijay, the party’s founder, leading to a scuffle that turned into a stampede. Vijay is a popular actor of Tamil cinema and he has recently formed a party named Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam. The death of 40 people has not only created a big political crisis for Vijay and his party, questions are also being raised on his credibility and credibility. Due to this accident, questions are being raised on his leadership and crowd management. The political scenario of Tamil Nadu has also been shaken after the stampede. Opposition parties immediately attacked Vijay and started accusing him of negligence.
This tragedy has turned into an existential crisis for TVK. Just months after launching the movement, the fledgling party now finds itself grappling with a devastation it had never imagined.
The grief of losing a family member in the stampede
Vijay’s silence after such a big accident also irritated his supporters. There is deep anger and sorrow among the people at the grassroots level. The families of the victims are waiting for answers and help. The party workers who gathered people to attend Vijay’s meeting are themselves in shock. Instead of showing solidarity, they were shocked by the harsh attitude of their own leader. After the accident, far from meeting the injured at Vijay Hospital, he left for Chennai without even paying homage to the dead. District level leaders and his fans were shocked by his decision. They are feeling alone in this critical moment.
Vijay’s opponents have started projecting this episode as a reflection of his inexperience and lack of political acumen. For TVK, this tragedy is no longer just a moment of grief but also a test of their existence in the harsh political ground of Tamil Nadu. How Vijay and his party deal with this will decide not only their credibility, but also their future in state politics.
“This was the first and real test of his leadership,” says senior journalist Priyan Srinivasan. Vijay failed miserably in this.” Actor-turned-politician Vijay was compared to Chief Minister M.K. While talking to Stalin, Priyan said that the speed and decision-making ability with which Stalin reached the spot was praiseworthy. Priyan praises Stalin for this step. Priyan says, despite the fact that “political parties had already entered into the blame game, Stalin arrived there.”
Horrific scene after the stampede
“AIADMK and BJP are leaving no stone unturned in alleging lapses in crowd management,” Priyan tells Outlook. But the main thing is that no matter what political blame is put on it, this accident is a big blow for TVK. This is a disaster which has shaken his credibility. What is worse is that before the party could establish itself properly, it has been trapped in this disaster.
The decline in credibility of Vijay and his fledgling party is clearly visible in the reactions of relatives and friends of the victims. A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court against this incident, demanding a ban on TVK political rallies until the investigation into the stampede is completed. “The right to life is more important than the right to assemble,” argues Senthil Kannan, the petitioner who approached the court.
There is more anger towards Vijay among those people who had traveled a long distance to attend the Karur rally. Of course, some people came there due to their political interest but there were some who were standing there just to get a glimpse of their favorite actor. Sita’s words from Erode seemed to be an expression of the sentiments of many people present in the crowd. “After pushing us into the tragedy, he himself went to sleep in his air-conditioned room in Chennai,” she says.
Two-year-old Dhruv Vishnu was the youngest victim of the stampede. Ten minors lost their lives in this accident. Most of the deceased were young men and women in the age group of 20-35. The tragedy has not only left many families in grief, but has also raised fundamental questions about the risks of agitation in Tamil Nadu’s already tense political culture.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also visited Karur and visited the stampede area
Many people have demanded a CBI inquiry into this incident. They allege that there may be some conspiracy behind the incident. Party coordinator Arivazhagan has announced that the organization will approach the High Court demanding a central inquiry and will directly accuse the ruling party officials in Karur of spreading anarchy. On the contrary, the police arrested several top TVK leaders, including General Secretary N. Anand, Joint General Secretary Nirmal Kumar and Karur West District Secretary V.P. A case has been registered against Mathiyazhagan under other sections including culpable homicide. A particularly stringent investigation is underway against Anand, considered the number two in the party. For this reason, the organizational structure of TVK is under legal and moral pressure.
Talking about the actor-turned-politician, Priyan Srinivasan says, “The only film star who has really succeeded in converting fans into his political capital is M.G. It was Ramachandran.” He further says, “Vijay had made a good start. He struggled to gain political momentum in AIADMK and there was opportunity for him in Tamil Nadu politics. I don’t think he will back down from this, but his next step will be even more important, on which his future will depend.
According to experts, TVK, which started in February 2024, had established itself as a serious contender in the political scenario of the state. Vijay began his ambitious statewide tour on September 13, aiming to complete it by December 20, ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Even before his goal could be accomplished, the stampede of 27 September ruined Vijay’s plans. The tragedy not only shook public confidence but also cast a dark shadow on Vijay’s carefully planned political debut. Perhaps the attempt was to make some dent in the DMK votes and consolidate the scattered votes of the opposition, but now the situation has become difficult.
