TVK Alleges DMK Conspiracy Behind Karur Rally Stampede: Seeks Independent Investigation

TVK has said it does not have faith in the state police probe into the stampede tragedy

Chennai:

Actor-politician Vijay's party TVK has alleged a DMK conspiracy behind the stampede at yesterday's rally in Karur that resulted in 40 deaths and nearly 100 injuries. TVK's legal representative, Arivazhagan, informed NDTV that the party has filed a petition with the Madras High Court requesting the establishment of a Special Investigation Team or transfer of the case to the CBI. Arivazhagan dismissed the state government's claims that safety guidelines were violated at the Karur rally.

Arivazhagan, who coordinates TVK's legal wing, stated they will present their case before the Madurai bench of the high court tomorrow. "There was a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy in the incident at Karur, so we requested the honorable high court to investigate the matter independently, not by a state agency," he explained to NDTV. "The court has to constitute a special investigation team, or they have to transfer the case from Tamil Nadu police to CBI," he added.

When questioned about TVK's lack of confidence in the state police investigation, the lawyer responded, "There was a criminal conspiracy. We received reliable information from the local people, and we have some CCTV footage. It shows that there was a criminal conspiracy by some ruling party functionaries in the Karur district."

Refuting the DMK government's assertions that the rally violated safety protocols established by police, Arivazhagan insisted, "We did not violate any conditions imposed by the police, we did not." He noted that TVK had organized several events over recent months in Madurai, Trichy, Ariyalur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Namakkal. "How this happened in Karur, that is the question. It creates doubt."

DMK has avoided commenting on the conspiracy allegation. Dr Syed Hafeezullah, the party's spokesperson, told NDTV, "We don't want to politicise this. The law will take its course. Those who level such allegations should first introspect how their party leadership behaved."

Government sources have claimed that people had gathered at the Karur rally venue since noon, while Vijay only arrived around 7 pm. They alleged that approximately 27,000 people assembled at a venue with a capacity of about 10,000. These sources suggested the delay was deliberate and that TVK leaders intended for the crowd to grow larger.

The TVK lawyer rejected this assertion, stating, "The delay was not on our part. The delay was caused due to poor traffic. That is the reason we could not reach the destination on time."

The state government has responded forcefully to the tragedy, highlighting safety violations at the Karur rally. TVK's general secretary N Anand, joint general secretary Nirmal Kumar, and Karur West district secretary VP Mathiyazhagan now face police charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with other sections. Additionally, the state government has ordered a judicial inquiry led by a retired High Court judge.