A heated political confrontation continued in the Tamil Nadu Assembly over the Karur stampede tragedy, with AIADMK general secretary and Opposition Leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) accusing the ruling DMK government of negligence and attempting to suppress the truth.
During the second day of the legislative session, debate on the Karur incident turned chaotic after Minister S.S. Sivasankar accused EPS of invoking the 2018 Thoothukudi firing incident. The exchange triggered a ruckus, and EPS staged a dharna in front of the Speaker’s chair. As tensions escalated, AIADMK members walked out of the Assembly, alleging that the government was preventing them from raising questions on the tragedy. Senior leader K.A. Sengottaiyan left the House before EPS’s speech, while members of the O. Panneerselvam faction did not join the walkout. BJP legislators also walked out in solidarity.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, EPS said the AIADMK had listened patiently to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s statement but was not given adequate time to respond. “It is the tradition for the Chief Minister to reply after the opposition has spoken,” he said, criticizing the Speaker for denying the opposition its turn.
EPS pointed to contradictions in the government’s version of events, saying, “The ADGP said that 500 policemen were involved in security work in Karur, but the Chief Minister claims 660. This contradiction raises suspicions about the government’s handling of the tragedy.” He blamed the administration’s “negligence and intelligence failure” for the stampede, asserting that adequate crowd control measures were not taken despite prior knowledge of the expected turnout.
He also alleged political bias in the allocation of the meeting venue. He said, “They have allotted this place. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s Makkal Sandhippu (People’s Meeting) has been given this same venue in Velichamipuram. We had requested this same place earlier, on 24 January 2025, for our event — the 108th birthday celebration of our revolutionary leader and Ponmanachemmal (Golden Hearted Leader) M.G. Ramachandran. But at that time, the police didn’t grant permission for us to hold the event there.
Their reasoning had four points; I’ll mention just one. They said that since Velichamipuram is a heavily trafficked area with narrow roads, holding a public meeting there could block both sides of the street and disrupt movement. That’s why that location was rejected for us. Ironically, the same place that was denied to us has now been allotted for this other event.
Earlier, when we wanted to organize our program there and the police refused, we had to approach the court. During our Ezhuchi Payanam (Awareness Journey) in the Karur Assembly Constituency, our district secretary applied for multiple locations to hold meetings. When permission was denied, we again went to the court. The court issued an order instructing the district police superintendent to personally intervene and allot a suitable location. Yet, it wasn’t done. I’ve mentioned the dates. Our Ezhuchi Payanam went on continuously. Left with no other choice, we organized the meeting at the location that was forcibly assigned to us. We accepted it and went ahead.
But now, this same site is being allotted for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s People’s Meeting. How can they allow an event at a location they previously deemed unfit for gatherings? This leader has already conducted such meetings in four other districts. The government and the police are well aware of the size of the crowds that come to his events. Despite that, they gave this location — and people now say it was deliberately chosen with ill intent, as if someone wanted a disaster to happen. We too believe this could very well be true.
Forty-one people have died. As soon as they fainted, ambulances arrived, and the victims were taken to hospitals. By the next morning, 39 had died. Two more passed away the following morning, totaling 41 deaths. In a rush, a one-man commission was appointed. In haste and panic, an order was issued to conduct autopsies, and district officials were alerted. The work began around 1:45 a.m. at the Karur Government General Hospital.
That hospital had only two autopsy tables. Such procedures need lighting and proper facilities — only two tables were operational. But the minister now claims there were three tables. Fine, let’s assume there were three. Even then, how could autopsies for 39 people be completed so quickly?
Doctors say that conducting one autopsy takes about an hour and a half per body. After the autopsy, they must record the cause of death and all related documentation. So, each case requires at least 1.5 hours. Given that rate, how could 31 autopsies be completed between 1:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.? People are raising serious doubts about this.
Even if they brought in 22 additional doctors from outside, with only three tables available, it doesn’t add up. People are questioning how these autopsies could have been performed so fast and whether proper medical standards were followed. It is now the duty of the government to dispel these fears and answer the questions being raised. But whenever we ask, we get vague or evasive responses.”
“உள்நோக்கத்தோடு தான் இந்த இடம் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது” கரூரில் தவெகவினருக்கு இடம் ஒதுக்கீடு செய்யப்பட்டது குறித்து எதிர்க்கட்சி தலைவர் எடப்பாடி பழனிசாமி#TNAssembly2025 | #TNAssembly | #EdappadiPalaniswami | #AIADMK pic.twitter.com/6dpcseTaIO
(Source: Hindu Tamil)
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