‘My Heart is Full of Pain’: TMK Chief Vijay Issues First Video Message After Tragic Karur Stampede | WATCH

New Delhi: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, issues his first video message after the tragic Karur stampede, calling the incident the most painful situation he has ever faced in his life. He said his heart was “filled only with pain” and reflected on the love and affection of people who attended his rally.  

He emphasized that the safety of attendees was his top priority throughout the tour. “That’s why, above everything else on this tour, I have placed people’s safety first, with no compromise whatsoever. That thought sits very deep in my heart. So I set aside all political reasons, focused solely on people’s safety, chose appropriate venues for that, and sought permission for those places accordingly,” he said.

Watch: The Video 

Vijay explained that his organizers had formally requested police permission for the rally venues, but despite precautions, the tragedy occurred. “I’m human too. When so many people had been affected at that moment, how could I just leave that town and come away? If I had gone back there, even citing a reason, it could have led to further tense situations and other untoward incidents,” he said.

He offered his deepest condolences to the families grieving the loss of their loved ones and prayed for the swift recovery of those admitted to hospitals. He also thanked friends and leaders from various political parties who understood the situation and stood by his party.

Vijay questioned why such an incident happened only in Karur, noting that rallies in other districts had gone smoothly. He claimed that his team had done nothing wrong, yet FIRs had been filed against his party administrators and comrades, including social media supporters. He urged the Chief Minister not to take action against others, offering himself instead. He concluded by stating that their political journey would continue with even greater strength and courage.

NDA-BJP Delegation Visits Karur, Demands Supreme Court-Led Probe into Stampede

An eight-member NDA-BJP delegation on Tuesday visited the site of the September 27 Karur stampede, which claimed 41 lives during a public rally of TVK chief and actor Vijay. The leaders, including BJP MPs Hema Malini, Anurag Thakur, Aparajita Sarangi, and others, met the injured, bereaved families, and eyewitnesses, raising sharp questions over lapses in organisation, security, and administration.

The delegation demanded that a sitting Supreme Court judge head the investigation, seeking accountability from the Tamil Nadu government and the ruling DMK.

Hema Malini highlighted concerns about poor planning and the choice of venue. “It was a bottleneck. You cannot expect 30,000 people to gather in such a narrow space. Security must be proportionate to crowd strength,” she said, stressing that such tragedies must never be repeated.

The Karur Stampede

The stampede broke out during Vijay’s rally in Karur after a nine-year-old girl went missing in a crowd of over 50,000 people. Chaos ensued when people surged in one direction to search for the child. The dense gathering caused several party workers and children to faint, prompting Vijay to halt his address and call for calm, while urging attendees to make way for emergency ambulances. The commotion resulted in 38 deaths.

Following the tragedy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the victims’ families and stated that the incident would be investigated by a commission of inquiry.