A fierce political confrontation unfolded in the Tamil Nadu Assembly as Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Opposition Leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) clashed over the recent Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives. The tragedy, which occurred during a private event organized by a DMK functionary, has triggered intense political blame-trading between the ruling DMK and the AIADMK.
In the Assembly, Chief Minister Stalin described the stampede as an incident that “has shaken the conscience of the state,” expressing condolences to the families of the deceased and outlining the government’s relief and investigation measures. He said people’s lives were of utmost importance and assured that accountability would be fixed based on the inquiry’s outcome.
However, the proceedings turned stormy as Palaniswami accused the DMK government of negligence and attempting to present a one-sided narrative. The AIADMK claimed that the tragedy could have been prevented with adequate police deployment and crowd control measures. As tensions escalated, AIADMK members staged a walkout in protest.
Later, in a strongly worded post on X, Palaniswami alleged that Chief Minister Stalin “gets scared” whenever he stands up to speak in the Assembly, accusing him of delivering “cinematic dialogues” instead of answering questions. He said Stalin’s speech was delivered only after the opposition had walked out, adding that the Chief Minister was “hiding behind ministers and the Speaker.”
Palaniswami claimed there were contradictions between the Chief Minister’s statement and that of the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) regarding the number of policemen deployed for the Karur event. He questioned how an inquiry could be credible when the government was unable to provide clear answers even in the Assembly.
The AIADMK chief also condemned the remarks made by DMK ministers and the Speaker during the session, saying they had spoken “very rudely” when opposition members wore black armbands to express grief over the deaths. “Your ministers are afraid of going to jail after losing power in six months, so even seeing a black armband reminds them of prison,” he wrote.
Referring to the Speaker’s reaction, Palaniswami said, “The Speaker, who spoke more than all members of the 16th Legislative Assembly combined, looks at the black armband and asks, ‘Are you angry?’ Now I will tell you — yes, it is anger.”
He said the AIADMK wore the black armbands out of anger at the “loss of 41 lives due to the negligence of an incompetent government” and accused the DMK of “playing politics without shame even in this tragedy.”
In a direct message to the Chief Minister, Palaniswami wrote, “Mr. Stalin, I thought you would speak responsibly as a Chief Minister today. But you spoke like Version 2.0 of the press conference held by your Karur MLA. Just remember that truth will prevail.”
சட்டப்பேரவையில் நான் பேச எழுந்தாலே பதறும் பொம்மை முதல்வர் @mkstalin, எதிர்க்கட்சி வெளிநடப்பு செய்ததும், வழக்கம் போல வெற்றுச் சுவரைப் பார்த்து வெட்டி வசனம் பேசியிருக்கிறார்.
இவரது அரசை குற்றம் சொல்ல முடியாமல் வெளியேறினோமாம். திரு. @mkstalin அவர்களே- நான் கேட்ட எந்தவொரு…
— Edappadi K Palaniswami-SayYEStoWomenSafety&AIADMK (@EPSTamilNadu) October 15, 2025
(Source: India Today)
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