TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna booked for social media post on 'Gen Z protest' after Karur stampede

Karur rally stampede

Aadhav Arjuna, General Secretary of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has been charged over a controversial social media post in which he called on Tamil Nadu’s youth to emulate protests in Nepal and Sri Lanka and rise against what he described as a “wicked government.”

The comments were posted on X (formerly Twitter) less than 48 hours after a deadly stampede at a TVK rally in Karur on September 27 that left 41 people dead. The remarks sparked outrage across political circles, particularly from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

A police case has been registered at the North Zone Cyber Crime Police Station under several sections, including U/S 192, 196(1)(b), 197(1)(d), 353(1)(b) and 353(2) of the BNS.

In his now-deleted post, Aadhav wrote, “A youth-led revolution is the only solution. 'Gen Z' revolted in Sri Lanka, Nepal against the ruling government. Here also the youth will lead a revolution.”

He added, “That revolution is going to be the reason for a change in government. Under a wicked ruler even the laws turn wicked.”

The post further accused Tamil Nadu police of misconduct. “Lathi charge for walking on the road. Arrest for posting an opinion on social media. If the police become the subordinates of the ruling class in this way, the only way out for the youth is revolution.”

Aadhav also declared, “Just as in Sri Lanka and Nepal, where youth and Gen Z came together to create revolts against authority, the same uprising of the youth will happen here. That uprising will become the foundation for a change of government and also a conclusion against State’s excess.”

Though Aadhav later edited the post to remove references to Sri Lanka and Nepal before deleting it altogether, screenshots of the remarks continued to circulate widely.

DMK leaders strongly condemned the statement. DMK MP Kanimozhi called the remarks “irresponsible” and said such language could “incite violence.” She later added the comments were “extremely irresponsible,” stressing that they were especially inappropriate while people were still mourning the Karur tragedy.

TVK sources, however, told NDTV the remarks reflected Aadhav’s personal views. “The party and Vijay will never instigate people or violence,” one source said, adding that the post had been removed promptly.

The party is already facing intense criticism after the Karur stampede. Police have attributed the deaths to what they described as Vijay’s “deliberate display of political power.” TVK has rejected this claim, blaming instead “mishandling by police and a power outage” as causes of the disaster.

Aadhav has since filed a petition in the Madras High Court to ensure that Vijay is not prevented from meeting the families of the victims. He has also demanded that the inquiry into the stampede be transferred from Tamil Nadu police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), arguing that this would ensure impartiality.

The DMK has dismissed allegations of conspiracy, insisting that safety protocols were not followed by the organisers. Police have cited unscheduled stops by Vijay’s campaign bus and an impromptu roadshow without permission as the primary triggers for the fatal crush.