Tamil Nadu DGP blames Vijay’s TVK for Karur stampede, points to ‘critical lapses’

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Karur: Tamil Nadu Director General of Police DGP-in charge G Venkatraman has disclosed shocking details about the organizational failures that led to the deadly stampede during actor-politician Vijay’s Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur, which claimed 38 lives including 10 children. In an official statement, the DGP revealed that while the party had obtained permission for 10,000 attendees, the actual crowd swelled to 27,000 people, creating a potentially volatile situation that culminated in tragedy.

The police had anticipated the larger turnout based on TVK’s previous rallies and deployed 350 personnel including senior officers, but critical missteps by the party organizers ultimately led to the disaster.

Eight-Hour Delay and Venue Selection: Recipe for Disaster

The DGP’s statement highlighted two major failures that contributed to the catastrophe. First, the TVK party had officially requested permission for the rally between 3 PM and 10 PM, but simultaneously announced on their social media platforms that founder Vijay would arrive at the venue by 12 PM. This discrepancy caused supporters to begin gathering as early as 11 AM, while Vijay ultimately arrived only around 7:10 PM – creating an eight-hour waiting period that tested crowd patience and safety.

Second, the DGP noted that the party had initially sought permission for two more congested areas – Uzhavar Market and Lighthouse Roundabout – before being granted the relatively wider Velusamypuram venue on the Karur-Erode road. Ironically, the DGP pointed out that another political party had successfully conducted a large meeting at the same venue just two days earlier without incident.

Police Deployment and Investigation Underway

Despite the challenging circumstances, the DGP stated that the police had made adequate security arrangements, deploying 350 personnel in and around the venue with an additional 150 officers stationed elsewhere in Karur. The situation remained manageable until Vijay’s arrival, when the crowd surged toward his vehicle, leading to the fatal stampede. The DGP revealed that TVK organizers had even thanked the police for their security arrangements during Vijay’s speech, just before the situation spiralled out of control.

The Tamil Nadu government has since formed a one-man commission headed by Justice Aruna Jagatheesan to investigate the incident, while police have registered a case under four serious sections including attempt to murder against TVK’s Karur West District Secretary Mathiyazhagan. With 58 people still hospitalized and 12 in critical condition, the investigation continues to determine full accountability for one of Tamil Nadu’s worst political rally tragedies.