Stampede at Vijay’s Rally in Tamil Nadu Leaves Children Among the Dead, Over 50 Injured
Karur, Tamil Nadu – A political rally for actor-turned-politician Vijay turned tragic on Saturday after a massive stampede claimed several lives, including children, and left more than 50 people injured. The event was organized by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party as part of its campaign ahead of next year’s state elections.
Police confirmed that a case has been registered against senior TVK leaders Bussy Anand, Nirmal Kumar, and V.P. Mathiyalagan. “TVK originally sought permission for a gathering of 10,000 people, but the actual turnout was more than double,” senior police official V. Selvaraj told Reuters. An investigation is now underway.
Vijay, one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars for over three decades, has been drawing huge crowds since launching his political party last year. Visibly shaken by the tragedy, he said he was “heartbroken” and pledged full support for the victims’ families.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced financial aid of 1 million rupees ($11,300) for each bereaved family. The state government has also appointed a commission led by a retired judge to investigate the incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, calling the stampede “deeply saddening” in a post on X.
Local media footage showed thousands of supporters surrounding Vijay’s campaign vehicle during the rally. At one point, he was seen tossing water bottles to dehydrated fans and pleading for police assistance as the crowd became uncontrollable.
Vijay’s TVK has positioned itself against both the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it builds momentum for the upcoming polls.
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