After the tragic stampede that took place on 27 September 2025 at a political gathering organized by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur, where at least 40 people lost their lives, has triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who are blaming the ruling DMK government for serious administrative failures.
On 28 September 2025, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) raised serious concerns about the role of the police and the state administration in managing the large-scale event held by actor and TVK chief Vijay. Addressing reporters after meeting with victims and their families, Palaniswami remarked, “Thirty-nine people lost their lives. We were informed that the stampede occurred because of an electric current. Such a campaign was previously held in four districts, and the police should have provided adequate security. I don’t think that was done.”
EPS alleged a double standard in how security is deployed, accusing the police of favoring events held by the ruling DMK. “Even at AIADMK rallies, we’ve seen a lack of security. But for DMK events, thousands of police personnel are assigned. This kind of bias should not exist in a democracy,” he said.
He also emphasized that event organizers share responsibility. “If proper safety measures had been in place, this tragedy could have been avoided. The party leadership must be held accountable for crowd control and emergency readiness.”
Questioning the effectiveness of the state administration, EPS asked, “If the Government and police had worked well, such lives would not have been lost,” and expressed doubt over the inquiry ordered by the government. “They’ve appointed a single-person commission to investigate, but many questions remain. For instance, Vijay mentioned an ambulance arriving during the middle of his speech. That raises serious concerns.”
Calling the incident one of the worst political rally disasters in Tamil Nadu’s history, he said, “We’ve never witnessed a stampede of this scale at a campaign event in the state.”
The deadly incident was reportedly caused by overcrowding and panic at the venue. The Tamil Nadu government has since announced a formal investigation into what went wrong.
BJP’s Annamalai Also Slams DMK Over Negligence
Former Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai also expressed deep concern over the tragedy, describing it as “deeply disturbing.” He directly blamed the DMK government for failing to ensure public safety at the high-profile political event.
“It is extremely painful to hear that around 40 people, including children, died in a stampede during a rally attended by TVK leader Vijay. This level of carelessness is unacceptable,” Annamalai stated.
He argued that it was the duty of the police and administration to properly assess the expected turnout, select a suitable venue, and deploy adequate security forces. “It’s the government’s job to plan for crowd safety. That clearly didn’t happen here,” he said.
Annamalai also referred to reports of a power outage during Vijay’s speech, noting that the disruption only heightened the chaos and confusion. “The Tamil Nadu government and the police acting with such negligence is highly condemnable,” he added.
He further urged that the ongoing investigation must determine whether the stampede resulted from poor planning, insufficient police deployment, or the reported power cut. “Those responsible for this negligence must face strict action,” he concluded.
(With inputs from TOI & India Today)
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