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Ambulance Politics: DMK’s Dirty Tricks To Sabotage Opposition Rallies?

The Commune

In politics, strategic moves are often aimed at outmaneuvering opponents and gaining the upper hand. While Indian political culture has traditionally maintained a certain level of decorum, recent developments under the DMK government have raised concerns about a significant erosion of that standard. The latest controversy surrounds what critics are calling “ambulance politics” — a tactic allegedly used to disrupt opposition rallies by sending ambulances through crowded gatherings during speeches.

At first, the presence of ambulances during political events was seen as a genuine medical necessity. Political leaders, including those from the AIADMK, were respectful and allowed them to pass without objection. However, repeated incidents during AIADMK campaign events have raised suspicions that the emergency vehicles were being used intentionally to cause disruption. Each passing ambulance forced interruptions in speeches, created confusion among the crowd, and hindered the momentum of the events — drawing sharp criticism from the opposition.

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has publicly alleged that the ruling DMK orchestrated these incidents to derail his campaign. He claimed that ambulances crossed his rallies on at least 30 occasions, disrupting his speeches and distracting the crowd. During a rally in Anaicut, Vellore district, tensions escalated when party cadres confronted an ambulance driver trying to pass through the gathering.

“This is not accidental. I’ve seen empty ambulances entering my rallies around 30 times,” EPS alleged. “This is a deliberate attempt to interfere with our campaign. If this continues, the ambulance may have to take the driver in as a patient,” he said, expressing his frustration over what he believes is a calculated strategy.

A similar incident occurred on 13 September during actor Vijay’s first campaign rally in Trichy under his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). An ambulance entered the rally space mid-speech, forcing Vijay to pause and momentarily throwing the event into disarray. The unexpected entry drew comparisons with the disturbances faced by AIADMK and fueled speculation about a coordinated pattern.

During his campaign rally in Nagapattinam on 20 September, Vijay raised concerns about the DMK government’s alleged attempts to sabotage his events by assigning him cramped and overcrowded venues. He criticized saying, “What great thing did we ask for? A place where the public can stand and watch in peace and freely. We select that place and ask for permission for it. But what are you people doing? You leave all those places and choose a place where people will stand in a crowd, in congestion, and give us that. What exactly is your intention, sir?”

Further controversy arose during TVK’s rally in Karur on 27 September 2025 — a tragic event that ended in a stampede claiming 39 lives. Reports indicated that several ambulances were seen arriving at the venue before and during the chaos, although an exact count remains unconfirmed. Vijay himself acknowledged the presence of at least one ambulance bearing a TVK flag, but no official figures have been provided.

From the official Live stream from the TVK page shows two ambulance crossing the rally in that narrow stretch filled with thousand of cadres.

(Narrow venue Vijay Campaign)

(Two ambulance crossing back to back)

While Palaniswami’s claim of 30 ambulance-related disruptions has not been independently verified, the recurring nature of such incidents across major campaign events has triggered widespread debate. The use of ambulances whether deliberate or coincidental to interrupt political rallies has been condemned by critics as cheap attempts to foil Opposition rallies.

The repeated intrusion of ambulances into opposition rallies is more than a series of coincidences — it is a chilling display of how the DMK government appears willing to weaponize even emergency services for political gain. What should be sacred spaces of public engagement and democratic debate have instead become arenas for calculated disruption, leaving party workers and citizens alike frustrated, endangered, and disillusioned. When ambulances — symbols of care and urgency — are turned into instruments of obstruction, it exposes a governance culture that values political theatrics over public safety, and manipulation over decency. If politics in Tamil Nadu continues down this path, the lines between democracy and farce will blur entirely, and the citizens, not the parties, will pay the highest price.

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