Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday called the stampede that left 41 people dead at a public rally of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur last year the pain that hurt him the most and slammed the Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for trying to gain political mileage from it.
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“No matter how great a height a person reaches, mentally, there are certain hurts and wounds that can never be forgotten. We have come this far by overcoming many hurts and wounds. But worse than anything else, the wound and the pain that hurt me the most were the Karur incident,” he said as he visited Karur for the first time since becoming the chief minister.
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Vijay said his visit to Karur last year was part of TVK’s outreach and to speak up for the people’s problems. He recalled that the Perambalur Police alerted them about the massive crowd after he finished a meeting in Ariyalur. He added that they were told it was getting late and not to come. “So we had no choice. When the police tell us something, we have to obey them, right? At the same time, keeping the safety of the Perambalur people in mind, we turned back with heavy hearts.”
He said the Karur Police could have alerted them in the same way. “They could have said, ‘No, sir, the crowd here is much larger than expected, we cannot control it, so do not come’.”
Vijay said the police can cancel a meeting if they want. “If they feel something is wrong, they have every right to cancel the meeting. They do not even need to ask us.”
Vijay said the police escorted them to Karur. “Look at the drama played out there. I believed them. I completely believed the Karur Police who were there that day. While speaking, I even thanked them. I had no idea that such a drama was being staged.” Vijay asked, “Who is responsible for all of this? Who ordered them to do this? Who put pressure and gave instructions?”
He said there was a massive crowd that day, but did the police provide adequate security? “A police officer gives an interview claiming that we were the ones who asked for that specific spot to be chosen.”
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Vijay slams MK Stalin
Vijay slammed the then chief minister MK Stalin for blaming him for the incident in the assembly and playing politics. “What is the meaning of that? We are not opportunistic politicians looking to make a profit while failing to protect the people who came out for us. Vijay came into politics for the people. After inflicting so much pain and wounds on us, you throw the blame back to gain political mileage?”
Vijay said the people gave a fitting reply in the 2026 election by electing TVK. “But that alone is not enough. You must keep delivering a permanent blow from which they can never rise again.”
