Actor-politician Vijay, leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has announced a memorial for the victims of the tragic stampede that occurred during his rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The incident, which took place on September 27, 2025, resulted in the loss of at least 41 lives and left over 60 others injured. In a heartfelt gesture, Vijay met with the grieving families, breaking down in tears as he consoled them and handed over government job appointment letters to the victims' kin during his first visit to Karur after the tragedy.
The stampede occurred when a crowd, estimated to be three times larger than the anticipated 10,000, gathered at the rally venue. The police had initially approved the event for a gathering of 12,000 people, but the actual turnout overwhelmed the venue's capacity. The situation escalated when Vijay arrived late, around 7:30 pm, causing restlessness among the waiting crowd. The narrow venue, combined with the massive crowd, led to chaos, resulting in the stampede. The police have since initiated an investigation into the incident.
In response to the tragedy, Vijay's TVK party announced an ex-gratia of ₹20 lakh for each victim's family and ₹2 lakh for those injured. The funds were directly credited to the bank accounts of the affected families. Additionally, the TVK has pledged to support the families in education and employment as long-term measures. Vijay expressed his profound sorrow over the incident, stating, "We are deeply saddened by the unbearably painful incident that occurred in Karur and are mourning the loss of our family members. We assure you once again that we will be there to comfort and support you in every way possible in this situation."
The incident has sparked a blame game between the TVK and the Tamil Nadu police. While the police have maintained that Vijay's late arrival and lack of ample arrangements at the venue led to the chaos, the TVK has alleged that the police failed to inform them about the crowd size and did not provide adequate security measures. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the stampede, with a team of officials already visiting the site in Karur. The case was handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by TVK for an independent probe.
Vijay's visit to the victims' families was an emotional one. During a private meeting in Mahabalipuram, he broke down upon seeing photographs of the children who had lost their lives in the stampede. The meeting was closed to both media and party members, highlighting the sensitive nature of the discussions. Vijay had also announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh for each victim's family a day after the incident. The CBI has begun a detailed line of questioning of Vijay as part of its probe into the Karur stampede case, focusing on alleged delays, crowd management lapses, and organisational responsibilities related to the event.
The Karur stampede has raised serious concerns about crowd management and safety measures at public events. The incident has prompted calls for stricter regulations and better preparedness to prevent such tragedies in the future.