Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan offered assistance to Tamil Nadu following the Karur rally tragedy.
Published Sep 27, 2025 | 11:51 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 27, 2025 | 11:51 PM
Vijay addressing the rally minutes before the tragedy.
Synopsis: The signs were there. Police had registered cases against TVK functionaries for violating safety norms. Still, the blatant breach of the rules continued unabated. The result: Innocent lives were lost.
Was the tragedy at Karur waiting to happen? Some signs portended danger, but they were ignored. The stampede at Vijay’s rally on Saturday, 27 September, comes after a series of incidents.
The police had flagged safety lapses and crowd violations at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) events over the past few weeks.
More than 33 people were killed and several others were injured when an unprecedented crowd attended Vijay’s rally at Velumchamypuram in Tamil Nadu’s Karur on Saturday.
During Vijay’s “Unga Vijay, Naa Varen” tour stop in Nagapattinam on 20 September, thousands of supporters swarmed the Puthur Anna Statue area, scaled walls, terraces, vehicles, and hoardings to catch a glimpse of the actor.
A section of a community hall wall belonging to the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni collapsed under the weight of the crowd, sparking a stampede-like situation.
Nagapattinam Town Police, acting on a complaint from the hall administration, booked TVK functionaries for the violation. Amid the chaos, police also arrested a migrant worker from Maharashtra after he allegedly snatched a gold chain from a woman in the crowd. His three accomplices remain at large.
The same day, during Vijay’s rally in Tiruvarur’s Therku Veethi, police booked TVK workers under the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act for erecting unauthorised digital banners.
In a separate case, four TVK men and a crane operator were charged for lowering a massive garland onto Vijay using a crane — a move police said posed safety risks to the leader and public.
Earlier, in August, police in Perambalur’s Kunnam area registered a case against Vijay and his personal security team after a cadre alleged he was manhandled when he tried to approach the leader during a rally.
The FIR invoked three sections, including assault and wrongful restraint.
Together, these incidents illustrate a pattern of disorder and inadequate safety at TVK events. Authorities had already filed multiple cases against TVK functionaries, but Saturday’s Karur stampede marked the most devastating consequence.
The Tamil Government announced that it would set up a commission under Justice Arun Jagadeeshan to probe the incident. The government also announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh each to the bereaved families.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan offered assistance to Tamil Nadu following the Karur rally tragedy.
In a letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin, Vijayan conveyed his condolences and assured Kerala’s support.
“The tragedy that took place during a rally in Karur, in which many people lost their lives and were injured, is extremely saddening. We express our deepest condolences and sorrow over the deaths,” Vijayan said.
He added that Kerala would extend any assistance required in the wake of the incident.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
