Published Feb 13, 2026 | 8:14 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 13, 2026 | 8:14 PM
Suraj had lived in Salem for 20 years and originally hailed from Maharashtra.
Synopsis: A 37-year-old man died after collapsing at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam rally in Salem, Tamil Nadu, on 13 February, reportedly after standing in the sun for more than three hours. Police said he had pre-existing heart problems and was undergoing treatment, but the exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem.
A 37-year-old man died at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) campaign rally in Salem, Tamil Nadu, on Friday, 13 February. He reportedly suffered heatstroke after standing in the sun for over three hours during the event.
The victim, Suraj, had lived in Salem for 20 years and originally hailed from Maharashtra. He worked at a silver workshop and is survived by his wife and two children.
The rally was TVK’s first since another event late last year in Karur ended in a crowd crush that killed 41 people. Because of that, the Salem event was held under tightened security, including a hard cap on attendance.
The TVK rally was held at Seelanayakkanpatti in Salem between 12pm and 3pm, with Vijay in attendance.
The party had earlier said only those who registered in advance would be allowed to attend and that permission had been granted for a maximum of 4,998 people.
A police officer stationed at the event told South First that after Suraj collapsed at the venue, he was taken to a nearby private hospital, where he was given first aid and underwent tests. He was later declared dead.
Police said that, based on information from Suraj’s family, he had pre-existing heart problems and was undergoing treatment.
But the exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed and will be known only after the post-mortem. His body has been kept at the government hospital.
Local media reported that Suraj had undergone heart surgery last year and had been advised not to stand in the sun for long periods.
But Suraj’s friend Manikandan told the media that in the 20 years he had known him, Suraj had never had any health problems.
TVK expressed regret over the death and said it will support the family.
“We conduct our events by taking all necessary precautionary measures to ensure that people and party cadres attending our programmes are not affected in any way,” TVK functionary CTR Nirmal Kumar said. “Despite this, this incident has occurred, which is deeply regrettable. Our party functionaries are with Suraj’s family to support them.”
The death has also led to allegations on social media that police deliberately allotted a midday timeslot for the event.
But Nirmal Kumar confirmed that the party itself had requested the slot.
“We requested permission from the police for the event to be held from 12 noon to 3 pm, and approval was granted on that basis. Our leader arrived on time and concluded his speech before 1.30 pm, after which he left,” he said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
