Just as DMK’s unoffical mouthpiece The News Minute rushed to absolve the ruling DMK of its responsibility in the Karur TVK rally stampede, another wannabe “news” portal, The South First’s editor Anusha Ravi Sood, put out a post quoting TVK chief actor-turned-politician Vijay’s video after the tragedy.
In a five-minute video statement posted on social media platform X, the actor-politician expressed deep sorrow over the September 27 tragedy. “I have never faced such a painful situation in my life. My heart is filled with pain, only pain. I express my deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. I know that no word can ever compensate for the loss. Right now, I pray for the speedy recovery of those undergoing treatment at hospitals. I will meet everyone very soon,” Vijay said, addressing the public for the first time since the incident.
Vijay responded to criticism over his quick exit from the site after the stampede, clarifying that his decision was made to avoid triggering further panic.
Hinting at possible political angles behind the tragedy, he remarked, “We went to at least five districts for our campaign, and no such incident took place in any of those places. It only happened in Karur. How did this happen? The public knows the truth, they are seeing everything. Soon all the truth will come out.”
In a direct dare to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Vijay stated, “If you want revenge, do whatever you want to me, don’t touch my cadre. I will either be at my home or the office, you can do anything to me.”
He further raised concerns over the FIRs filed against three TVK leaders — district secretary Mathiyalagan, state general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand, and deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar — along with several social media commentators, stressing that his party had complied with every instruction given by the authorities.
— TVK Vijay (@TVKVijayHQ) September 30, 2025
Anusha Ravi Sood Rushes To Defend DMK
Reacting to Vijay’s video, Anusha Sood had to register her defence of the DMK government while trying to absolve it of any wrongdoing.
Vijay may not have said the word “sorry” or “apologies” but he did convey his pain and offered condolences to the families of the deceased expressing remorse over the untoward tragedy.
In her post, Sood wrote, “In a dramtic video oozing cinematic dialogues, TVK chief Vijay fuels sabotage theories, says he did nothing wrong, dares CM @mkstalin to take action against him but not his fans & cadres. No taking accountability, no apology to the families who have lost their loved ones.”
Sood claims (just like Dhanya Rajendran) that Vijay was furthering “conspiracy theories”. However, eyewitness accounts actually point in the direction which Vijay took to in his video.
Rani, the wife of a TVK functionary who has been arrested, recounted the chaos at the Karur rally, saying things were fine until the bus arrived and people began throwing slippers, sparking a riot-like situation. She described how the crowd pushed and trampled attendees, even strangling a mother and her two children with a party flag. Rani alleged that some outsiders conspired, leaving rowdies in the crowd who sprayed a substance that made people faint. Panic ensued as people fell into a pit, were pushed over one another, and were stamped on in the stampede.
Another eyewitness revealed to the NDA delegation which visited the site about unidentified individuals infiltrating the rally and that some miscreants allegedly used knives to injure attendees. However, Dhanya and Anusha both brushed this factor aside and did not think it necessary to investigate this angle.
This is what Dhanya Rajendran wrote, “No apology – More conspiracy theories – Provoke/Taunt Sure, he can ask questions if the state machinery failed, but he just resorts to conspiracy mongering. Definitely grim signs from someone who aspires to be a politician. But is this surprising?”
Anusha Ravi Sood – The Wannabe DMK Mouthpiece
Much like The News Minute, Sood has been vying for DMK’s attention for quite some time. The South First under Anusha Ravi Sood has repeatedly displayed patterns of selective reporting, omission, and partisan amplification that align closely with the interests of the ruling DMK. Like TNM, Sood using her portal peddled North-South divide – something the Dravidianists salivate over. She even hailed mass murderer Tipu Sultan while derogating a true warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
In a classic case of partisan journalism, South First and its executive editor Anusha Ravi Sood have once again exposed their blatant bias by not questioning the DMK government but putting the blame on only one of the involved parties.
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