Karur Stampede: TVK Leader’s Deleted X Post ‘Inciting Gen Z Uprising’ Sparks Outrage

New Delhi/Karur: A social media post by Aadhav Arjuna, deputy general secretary of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has triggered widespread backlash amid the aftermath of the Karur rally stampede that killed 41 people.

In a now-deleted post on X, Arjuna urged Tamil Nadu’s youth to follow the example of young protesters in Sri Lanka and Nepal, calling for a “youth revolution” against what he described as a “wicked government” and warning that state authorities had become mere servants of those in power. The post read, in part: “If the police have become mere servants of those in power, the only way to restore order is through a youth revolution. Just as young people and the Gen Z generation united against authorities in Sri Lanka and Nepal, youth will rise here too. That rise will lay the foundation for regime change and the end of state terror.”

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The timing of the post, less than 48 hours after the deadly stampede at Vijay’s rally in Karur, drew sharp criticism. Political leaders and citizens condemned Arjuna for allegedly encouraging unrest while the state mourned the tragedy.

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai called the post “irresponsible” and accused Arjuna of attempting to exploit a tragedy for political gain. He said: “A corrupt person caught in the clutches of the Enforcement Directorate, who is trying to make political deals by showing off the crowd and has caused immense loss and tragedy, is calling for a revolution. Is he dreaming that a revolution can be carried out by paying money and using 100 influencers?”

The TVK, however, distanced itself from the post, asserting that it does not advocate violence. “The party and Vijay will never instigate people or violence. The post was deleted immediately and has nothing to do with the revolution apparently advocated by Arjuna,” a source told news agencies.

Arjuna has also moved the Madras High Court seeking directions to the state government to allow Vijay to visit families of the Karur victims. He has demanded the inquiry into the stampede be handed over to the CBI for a “fair probe”.

Meanwhile, tensions between the DMK and TVK continue, with both sides trading accusations over crowd management and the circumstances that led to the stampede.

The post, screenshots of which are still circulating online, has kept political discourse tense in Tamil Nadu, with parties and citizens urging calm and responsible communication in the wake of the tragedy.