Tamil Nadu Stampede: Kiran Bedi Calls Deadly Incident at Vijay's Rally "Totally Avoidable"

New Delhi:

Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi has stated that the tragic stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur was "totally avoidable."

The devastating incident claimed 41 lives and left over 60 people injured during Saturday's event in Karur, where Vijay was campaigning for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party ahead of upcoming state elections scheduled for early next year.

A badge with Vijay's picture was found among footwear and personal belongings abandoned at the stampede site.

"Such tragedies are totally avoidable and preventable, provided there is prior planning, due communication and due diligence," Bedi explained in her interview with NDTV.

She emphasized that "when prior planning, proper communication and due diligence and working together as an administration and organisers are missing, such events happen." Bedi, who previously served as governor of neighboring Puducherry, highlighted these crucial factors.

Bedi pointed to a significant "failure" by both police intelligence and event organizers in accurately estimating attendance figures for the Karur rally.

According to Tamil Nadu Police, organizers had projected around 10,000 attendees, but approximately 27,000 people arrived at the venue. Officials reported deploying about 500 personnel for security at the rally.

"It is a mutual failure and both the police and organisers are responsible," Bedi stated. "The police could have cancelled the rally and explained they couldn't risk people's lives. They could have informed organizers that the crowd exceeded capacity and adequate police arrangements weren't available. Alternatively, organizers could have conducted the rally in an audio or video format."

Bedi, notable as the first woman to join IPS officer ranks, emphasized that assessing stampede risks falls under police responsibility.

She clarified that such critical decisions aren't made by police "in isolation."

"It's an administrative decision. This would have had political implications, requiring collaborative administrative decision-making," Bedi explained.

"Multiple departments are involved in such situations - not just police but also administration, magistracy, Home Secretary, and political figures. While police represent the administrative face, both administrative and police authorities should prioritize human safety in their decision-making," she added.

Police reports indicate the crowd surge occurred after TVK announced on its official X (formerly Twitter) account that 51-year-old Vijay would arrive at the venue by 12 pm. However, official permission for the rally had been granted for the timeframe between 3 pm and 10 pm.

"Permission was granted for 3 pm-10 pm. TVK's Twitter announcement stated he would arrive at 12, causing crowds to gather from 11 AM. However, he ultimately arrived at 7:40 PM. Attendees lacked sufficient food and water while waiting in the hot sun," explained Tamil Nadu's Director General of Police G Venkataraman, adding it was "too early to determine the exact stampede trigger."

Following this tragedy, Vijay, whose public meetings have consistently drawn massive crowds since launching TVK in 2024, has "temporarily postponed" his statewide tour.