Vijay Returns To Karur, Announces Memorial For Stampede Victims And Attacks DMK
· Free Press Journal
Chennai: More than nine months after a crowd crush at his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally claimed 41 lives, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Friday made his first visit to Karur since the tragedy, announcing that a memorial would be built for the victims. He handed over government job appointment orders to families of 31 of those who died.
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The visit marked Vijay's first return to the district after the 2025 tragedy, for which he had faced sustained criticism from political opponents. He was accused of leaving Karur immediately after the incident without visiting the victims and of later inviting bereaved families to a resort near Chennai to offer condolences and financial assistance instead of meeting them in their hometown.
Vijay recalls Karur tragedy
Addressing a public gathering, Vijay described the Karur stampede as the "deepest scar" in his political life.
"Whatever heights one may reach, there will always be a deep scar in one's life. The Karur stampede is one such scar in mine," he said.
Revisiting the circumstances leading to the tragedy, the Chief Minister questioned the role of the police, alleging that authorities had failed to make adequate crowd-control arrangements despite being aware of the massive turnout.
He said that while campaigning earlier in Ariyalur, the police had advised him not to proceed to Perambalur because of heavy crowds, but no such warning was issued before he travelled from Namakkal to Karur on the fateful day.
"They could have similarly stopped me from going to Karur. Instead, they led me there and I trusted them. The police even have the authority to cancel a public meeting," Vijay said.
Attack on opposition over tragedy
Rejecting allegations that he had distanced himself after the incident, Vijay claimed he continued to live with the pain of losing "my brothers and sisters."
"I will never run away from my people. Yet they accused me of hiding. Did the police provide security commensurate with the crowd that had assembled that day?" he asked.
The Chief Minister also accused then Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin of politicising the tragedy in the Assembly.
'Cops Could Have Stopped Me': CM Vijay Blames Police And DMK For Tragedy In First Karur Visit After Stampede - VIDEOClaiming that the electorate had already delivered its verdict in the Assembly elections, Vijay urged supporters to continue rejecting the DMK politically.
"The people have given them a fitting reply in the elections. But that is not enough. Keep giving them the same reply so that they remain permanently subdued," he said.
Vijay targets DMK government
Turning to governance, Vijay launched a fresh attack on the previous DMK government, alleging widespread corruption.
"In every department, the erstwhile rulers looted public money in the name of party funds," he alleged, adding that when he raised the issue in the Assembly, "they ran away."
The Chief Minister claimed his administration had eliminated bribery in government offices.
"Those who said corruption could never be eradicated should visit government offices now. Not a single paise is being taken as a bribe. People are breathing a sigh of relief, and that makes us happy," he said.
Vijay promises bigger agenda
Concluding his speech, Vijay said his government had only shown a "sample" of its performance so far.
"They kept asking me to open my mouth. Now that I have started speaking, they are running away. What you have seen so far is only a sample; you will see our Viswaroopam in the days ahead," he said.