Vijay’s TVK Blames Police Lathicharge for Deadly Karur Stampede, DMK Says No Proof

New Delhi: Actor-turned-politician Vijay's party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, or TVK, told the Madras High Court on Friday that the stampede that killed 41 people in Tamil Nadu's Karur district last weekend was caused by a police lathicharge.

The DMK government, led by MK Stalin, has called the accusation made by Vijay's party "baseless" and stated that there is no proof to support it.

"When supporters were waiting to see their leader, Vijay, some from the crowd threw slippers. Without warning, the cops started lathicharging people which led to the stampede”, Vijay's party argued in court that the police handled the situation improperly.

A Special Investigation Team, or SIT, led by IPS officer Asra Garg, has been mandated by the court to look into the stampede.

In the stampede case, TVK district secretary N Sathish Kumar filed a petition for anticipatory bail, which the high court also denied. The judge questioned the party's inability to manage the audience, pointing out the cadres' disruptive conduct, such as the looting and destruction of public property during party leader Vijay's roadshow.

On September 27, Vijay, who goes by one name, was speaking at the rally when the audience unexpectedly erupted, forcing him to stop. Shortly before the panic struck, he was seen throwing water bottles to fans in social media videos. 

After the public was told that Vijay would reach the location by midday, state police head G Venkataraman claimed that people had been waiting for hours in the sweltering sun without enough food or water.

"The crowds began to arrive at 11 a.m. He arrived at 7:40 p.m. The head cop at the time had informed reporters, "The people lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun."

He further mentioned that although 10,000 people were anticipated, only about 27,000 showed there.

The rally site was littered with broken poles, shredded paper sprayed from party poppers, ripped party flags, pieces of clothing, shattered water bottles, and mounds of shoes and chappals.

Hours after the accident, the 51-year-old celebrity released a statement saying, "My heart is shattered at this tragedy."

Vijay's party has already promised Rs 2 lakh in compensation for the injured and Rs 20 lakh for the relatives of the victims.