Tamil Nadu Tragedy: Actor Vijay Confronts Chief Minister Stalin After Deadly Rally Stampede Claims 41 Lives

Actor and TVK chief Vijay has made his first public appearance since the tragic stampede in Tamil Nadu's Karur that claimed 41 lives last Saturday evening.

In a video message released Tuesday evening, Vijay, dressed in somber grey attire, directly challenged Chief Minister MK Stalin and the ruling DMK party, suggesting a possible conspiracy ahead of next year's elections.

"Chief Minister sir... if you have revenge plans, do anything to me. Don't touch my leaders. I will be at home or in office," Vijay stated firmly in his address.

He defended his party's actions, saying, "We did nothing wrong except speaking at the designated spot. But police cases have been filed against our leaders, friends, and social media partners." Vijay rejected allegations that TVK failed to implement proper crowd safety measures and affirmed, "My political journey will continue with renewed vigour."

The DMK responded promptly to Vijay's statements. Party spokesperson A Saravanan criticized the timing of Vijay's response: "This is a script again. It took (four) days to release a video?" The party highlighted how Stalin visited Karur within hours of the incident, in contrast to Vijay's delayed response.

DMK MP A Raja suggested that Vijay's departure from the scene indicated guilt: "Fleeing means someone has a guilty conscience," referring to how the actor was escorted away from the chaos in an attempt to restore calm.

Another DMK leader, Kanimozhi, told NDTV that Vijay "should have listened to the police... cops advised the party to stop (Vijay's campaign bus) a few metres from the venue... (to ensure space for the crowd)."

Vijay's defiant message followed the arrest of party functionary Mathiyazhagan on serious charges including attempt to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and endangering public safety. Cases have also been filed against TVK General Secretary N 'Bussy' Anand and Joint General Secretary Nirmal Sekar.

A third case, filed by an unidentified police officer, has charged Vijay with 'deliberate display of power' – allegedly making unscheduled stops while traveling from a rally at Namakkal to intentionally delay his arrival and build anticipation, ultimately leading to the stampede.

In his video message, Vijay maintained that neither he nor his party had acted improperly, insisting they had followed protocol and chosen a safe location for the rally.

"During the tour we wanted no compromise on people's safety... we set aside all political issues and sought permission from the police for such (safe) places. But... what should not have happened, happened. I have never faced such a painful situation. My heart is full of pain."

Addressing criticism about leaving the scene, Vijay explained: "I am human too. How can I leave when so many were affected. I wanted to go back... but that could have led to more untoward incidents. So I avoided returning."

He also raised questions about why the tragedy occurred specifically in Karur, noting that TVK had held rallies in other districts without incident.

Karur Assembly seat is currently held by DMK's V Senthil Balaji, a former AIADMK leader and ex-Transport Minister involved in a corruption case. The larger Lok Sabha constituency has been represented by Congress' S Jothimani since 2019.

Jothimani responded to Vijay's statement in an interview with NDTV: "We have to first focus on people who have lost their lives and the ones who are undergoing treatment. These conspiracy theories are for him (Vijay) to explain. I have met affected people multiple times."

TVK has emerged as a potential dark horse for next year's election, fueled by Vijay's popularity and strong criticism of the DMK. The actor-turned-politician has firmly ruled out any alliance with Stalin's party, highlighting the growing tensions between the two political forces in the aftermath of the stampede.

At a party event in Madurai last month, Vijay reinforced his position by repeating his notable statement that the BJP is his 'only ideological enemy' while the DMK remains his 'only political enemy'.