Political Row Escalates Over Tamil Nadu Stampede: Stalin Criticizes BJP's Fact-Finding Mission

Chennai:

The political controversy surrounding the stampede at a rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur last week, headlined by actor and TVK leader Vijay, which resulted in 41 deaths, intensified on Friday when Chief Minister MK Stalin criticized the BJP for dispatching a delegation of opposition MPs on a fact-finding mission.

Stalin highlighted that no similar panels were sent to BJP-governed Manipur following ethnic violence in May 2023, or to Uttar Pradesh after the stampede during the Maha Kumbh in January. He accused the BJP of attempting to gain political advantage ahead of next year's state elections.

"No investigation team was sent to Manipur or for Kumbh... but delegates were immediately sent to Karur," the DMK leader stated. He claimed that sending the delegation was "not out of concern for Tamil Nadu... but because of the upcoming election" and that the BJP is seeking "political benefit" from the Karur tragedy.

The Chief Minister also questioned the decision to send Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was born in Madurai and represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha, to Karur as a 'representative' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government. This criticism comes amid an ongoing dispute between the Tamil Nadu government and the center regarding fund allocations.

On Tuesday, the BJP delegation led by Hema Malini, a prominent actor from the Tamil film industry, visited Karur to meet with victims' families and the injured.

Hema Malini criticized Stalin's administration for not providing adequate space. "For a star of Vijay's stature, allocating a small road was unfair. Many women and young girls had come to see Vijay. This tragedy could have been avoided if a larger area had been provided," she told reporters.

She added that the government should have granted the TVK's request for more space.

Accusations have been exchanged between various parties since the incident occurred.

The DMK has blamed the TVK for ignoring police warnings, with Tamil Nadu Police stating that event organizers disregarded on-ground officers' alerts about the growing crowd.

Meanwhile, the TVK has alleged a 'conspiracy' by the DMK to destabilize their party before the election. In his first comments since the tragedy, Vijay accused Stalin of engaging in 'vendetta politics'.

The Congress, a DMK ally, has maintained a relatively low profile on the issue; Karur Lok Sabha MP S Jothimani told NDTV that the priority should be assisting the injured and the families of those who died.

The BJP has seized this opportunity to pressure the DMK. The eight-member delegation that visited Karur has demanded a 'report' from Stalin—despite lacking legal or constitutional authority to do so—detailing the 'primary factors' that led to the stampede.

Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, one of the delegation members, wrote to Stalin on Wednesday, asking about "measures being planned to prevent such incidents from recurring."

In a related development, the TVK has petitioned the Madras High Court for a federal investigation into the stampede and requested directions to ensure Vijay is not prevented from visiting the families of the deceased, anticipating that the DMK might deny permission.