Tamil Nadu CM Vijay accuses DMK of politicising Karur Stampede, faults police response

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay accused the DMK of attempting to derive political mileage from the 2025 Karur stampede and criticised the police for allegedly failing to alert organisers about the swelling crowd that led to the tragedy.

Visiting Karur for the first time since the stampede, which claimed 41 lives during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) event on September 27, 2025, Vijay said the police neither warned the organisers about the crowd becoming unmanageable nor exercised their authority to cancel the gathering.

"The police could have informed us that the crowd was swelling beyond control. They had every right to cancel the meeting. Instead, they escorted us on the highway," Vijay said while addressing a gathering.

The Chief Minister said he had trusted the police and had even thanked them at the time, but later questioned their handling of the situation.

"I didn't know about the drama. Who is responsible for this? Under whose instructions did all this happen?" he asked, alleging that the then ruling DMK sought to gain political advantage from the tragedy.

Vijay said the Karur stampede had caused him immense grief and recalled that although he could not visit the affected families immediately after the incident, he had later met and consoled them near Chennai.

Announcing a tribute to those who lost their lives, Vijay said the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) would establish a memorial in honour of the 41 victims.

Following the event, the Chief Minister held a roadshow through Karur, where large numbers of supporters gathered along the route to greet him.