'I Could Hear Their Pain, Was At A Loss Of Words': Nirmala Sitharaman Meets Karur Stampede Victims

KARUR (Tamil Nadu): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday visited Karur, where the death toll from the stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally has climbed to 41, and assured the bereaved families and survivors of all possible assistance.
Accompanied by Union Minister L. Murugan and Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai, Sitharaman met grieving families, including those who lost young children in the tragedy and said the Centre was closely monitoring the situation.

‘Shocking incident, families inconsolable’

Calling the incident “shocking", Sitharaman said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally asked her and Murugan to visit Karur, meet the families of the deceased and check on those undergoing treatment.

“The injured were taken to the hospital and doctors have told us that their treatment is progressing well. The Prime Minister spoke to me and Muruganji and advised us to meet the families who lost their loved ones and convey his condolences. We also inspected the site along with the collector,” she told reporters after the visit.

The Union Minister added that she found it extremely difficult to console the grieving families, most of whom belong to poor backgrounds. “I could hear their pain, but I was at a loss for words. Still, I conveyed the Prime Minister’s message and reassured them of support,” she said.

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Sitharaman also stated that she would brief both the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister about her visit. She recalled that both leaders had already expressed their condolences on social media.

Families recount her visit

Some of the victims’ families described their meeting with the Finance Minister. Nagamani, grandmother of five-year-old Pradeep who died in the stampede, said Sitharaman asked her to take care of Pradeep’s grieving mother.

“She met us and told us to be strong. She said she will convey our pain to the Prime Minister,” Nagamani said.

Palaniammal, whose father-in-law Arakani was among the dead, said Sitharaman assured them of assistance and explained that Modi had wanted to visit Karur himself but could not due to work commitments. “She said the Prime Minister has sent them in his place and that we should contact the BJP district president for any further help,” Palaniammal said.

Mounting toll, political row

The stampede at TVK leader Vijay’s rally on Saturday evening broke out when overcrowding triggered panic. Among the 41 dead are 18 women, 13 men, five girls and five boys. While most of the victims are from Karur, fatalities have also been reported from Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul and Salem districts.

The tragedy has sparked a political blame game. While Vijay’s camp has alleged a conspiracy and sought a CBI probe, opposition leaders have faulted the ruling state government and event organisers for inadequate safety arrangements and poor crowd management.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has announced ₹10 lakh for each deceased’s family, while the Centre has sanctioned ₹2 lakh from PMNRF. Vijay himself has offered ₹20 lakh per family and ₹2 lakh for the injured.

As grief continues to ripple across Tamil Nadu, the focus now turns to accountability — with courts, state authorities, and political parties all under pressure to explain how a celebratory rally turned into one of the state’s deadliest stampedes in recent years.