Tamil Nadu Government Blames TVK's Reckless Actions and Vijay's Intentional Delay for Deadly Karur Stampede

The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Supreme Court that the fatal Karur stampede, which claimed 41 lives, resulted from a series of "reckless and uncoordinated actions" by TVK party organizers and workers.

In an affidavit submitted to the apex court, state authorities highlighted that TVK leader C Joseph Vijay deliberately delayed his arrival at the Karur venue by approximately seven hours, seemingly to maximize crowd attendance.

"C Joseph Vijay, TVK Party leader, left Chennai by air at 8:40 am, reached Tiruchirappalli around 9:25 am, then proceeded to Namakkal for a scheduled event before heading to Karur. This resulted in a seven-hour delay at the designated venue, demonstrating his intentional strategy to attract larger crowds," the state government stated.

The government defended its security arrangements, noting that Karur district police had deployed forces from 10:00 am on September 27, ensuring all security measures, crowd management systems, and traffic controls were established well ahead of time.

"However, in a grossly irresponsible action, TVK's official X (formerly Twitter) account announced that C Joseph Vijay would arrive at 12 pm, contradicting both the permission granted and the schedule provided in their own request," the affidavit continued.

According to the Tamil Nadu government, TVK's state general secretary issued a press statement that same day which encouraged premature gathering at the venue.

"As a direct result of these unauthorized and misleading communications, thousands of supporters began assembling as early as 9:30 am, leading to massive crowd buildup, vehicle congestion, and public restlessness hours before the scheduled start time."

"Attendees, many having traveled considerable distances, were forced to wait in intense heat without basic facilities, resulting in dehydration and fatigue among the crowd," the affidavit explained.

The state government emphasized that police forces remained consistently deployed and operational, showing exceptional restraint and professionalism throughout the extended waiting period.

"The maintenance of order and public safety until the delayed arrival of the TVK leader – nearly seven hours late – clearly demonstrates that the entire situation was effectively managed within police operational capacity, despite the organizers' reckless and uncoordinated conduct. Notably, no stampede occurred until the TVK leader arrived at the venue," the affidavit stated.

On October 13, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede, declaring that the incident had "shaken the national conscience" and warranted a fair, impartial investigation.

In its ruling on TVK's petition for an independent probe, the court established a three-member supervisory committee headed by former Supreme Court Justice Ajay Rastogi to oversee the CBI investigation.

Previously, police reported that the rally attracted 27,000 participants, nearly triple the expected 10,000 attendees, and attributed the tragedy to Vijay's seven-hour delay in reaching the venue.