Karur Stampede Tragedy:
A tragic incident occurred during actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay’s public rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. What was meant to be a political gathering turned into a disaster when a massive stampede claimed the lives of 36 people, including women and children. Several others were left injured in the chaos.
According to officials, the venue had permission for only around 10,000 people, but nearly two lakh supporters gathered. The huge crowd created uncontrollable pressure, eventually leading to the stampede.
When Vijay was first seen at Trichy airport after the incident, he chose not to make an immediate statement. Reports said he wanted to give a clear and thoughtful response instead of reacting on the spot. Later, he expressed his pain through an emotional tweet. In his message, he said his heart was broken and he was deeply saddened by the loss of innocent lives. He offered condolences to the families of those who died and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
Despite his heartfelt words, Vijay faced criticism for not visiting the injured victims at Karur hospital. Instead, he traveled back to Chennai, which disappointed some of his followers.
National and state leaders also reacted to the tragedy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief and offered condolences to the bereaved families. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin described the incident as deeply painful. He directed officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured free of cost. In addition, he announced financial support of ₹10 lakh for each victim’s family and ₹1 lakh for those seriously injured. Stalin also confirmed that he would personally visit Karur to meet the victims and their families.
The tragic stampede has raised serious concerns about crowd management and safety at large-scale political events. For Vijay, who is preparing for his political journey, this incident has left a heavy shadow over his campaign.