Fierce blame game after Karur tragedy; TVK alleges sabotage, DMK blames Vijay's team

Karur rally

A tragic stampede at a rally organised by actor-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in Karur, Tamil Nadu, has claimed 41 lives and left more than a hundred injured, including women and children, plunging the state into mourning and triggering a fierce political blame game.

Both TVK and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have exchanged accusations, while top police officials sought to clarify the sequence of events and crowd management efforts.

TVK’s allegations

TVK has maintained that its rally became the target of political sabotage, alleging a conspiracy orchestrated by the DMK government to undermine Vijay and his new party’s growing influence.

TVK’s legal representatives have moved the Madras High Court demanding a central agency probe, either by CBI or a special investigative team, arguing that poor venue selection and didactic state actions forced them into an unsafe situation. Meanwhile, Vijay has expressed deep sorrow, writing on his social media platform, “My heart is shattered. I am writhing in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow that words cannot express”.

Backing these claims, BJP has supported TVK’s demand for a CBI probe and alleged that the state frequently targets opposition events and leaders. TVK also alleged that police failed to control the crowd and did not heed their warnings about potential security lapses.

DMK’s response

The DMK government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to families of the deceased and ordered a high-level judicial probe. DMK leaders pushed back at TVK’s charges, terming them insensitive and politically motivated. DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi stated, “Insensitive to blame anyone. The commission is here and we should leave it to them. We should now look for the safety of the people.”

When she was asked if administration should be blamed for the tragedy, she said, "We didn't run away," taking a veiled dig at TVK chief Vijay who left his rally venue soon after the stampede broke out.

The DMK further accused TVK of failing to sufficiently coordinate with local authorities on crowd management and criticised Vijay’s team for late scheduling and “deliberately mobilising” excessive crowds, which led to the chaos.

Administration and police statements

Top police officials, including ADGP Davidson Devasirvatham, denied suggestions of an intelligence failure. The police pointed out that TVK had originally sought permission for 12,000 attendees, but over 27,000 people gathered after a delay caused supporters from a Namakkal rally to converge in Karur as well, NDTV reported.

The police claimed there was a well-calibrated deployment of about 500 personnel, maintaining a ratio of one officer for every 50 people. They also dismissed TVK’s claims of stone pelting as a trigger, stating no such incident occurred and that it was the overwhelming crowd surge, compounded by a late start and inadequate coordination, that proved fatal.