The stampede that occurred during TVK chief Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur left 41 people dead and triggered a major tow in Tamil Nadu and a blame game between the political parties. While the tragedy left people in shock, new revelations have now come to the fore. A BJP delegation visiting Karur for fact-checking received startling information on Tuesday from an eywitness woman, who claimed that several individuals in the crowd appeared suspicious and carried knives.
According to her, she saw some of these people attacking youths, which triggered chaos during the rally on Saturday evening.
What the woman claimed
The woman told the BJP delegation that even before Vijay arrived at the rally site, several people had collapsed from exhaustion. When ambulances tried to transport them, others were pushed or pressed against while giving way, worsening the situation. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party has also expressed suspicion of foul play, filing a plea in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court calling for an independent investigation. AIADMK and BJP have demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident.
Eyewitness accounts
One eyewitness informed the BJP-NDA delegation: "TVK’s Aadhav Arjun approached Vijay and informed him that people were fainting. Vijay immediately began throwing water bottles from his vehicle. The local administration failed to manage the crowd. The road was 19 feet wide, and the vehicle moved only up to 12 feet. After the chaos began, Vijay ended his speech and left. He was present for about 10 minutes."
Another eyewitness said, "Within 3-4 minutes of Vijay speaking, people started fainting. Chaos erupted, and then an ambulance arrived, which added to the confusion. Everyone began running. It took about an hour to stabilise the situation. Many people in the crowd were not locals. Why were we pushed into the ditch and not in another direction?"
Tamil Nadu government released videos
The Tamil Nadu government also issued a statement on Tuesday regarding the Karur stampede, releasing video clips showing violations of safety regulations. The government opposed claims regarding the choice of venue, noting that the Karur Roundana had a petrol station and a drainage canal, making it unsuitable for the rally.
Authorities reported that the estimated crowd of 10,000 grew to over 25,000 as Vijay arrived. Police had instructed TVK chief Vijay to stop 50 meters before the designated area due to crowd density, but organisers did not comply.
The government noted that the crowd had started gathering early in the morning, leaving some attendees dehydrated and exhausted by the afternoon. The heavy crowd moved toward the generator enclosure, and nearby focus lights were later turned off. Video footage released by the government shows people experiencing suffocation and being taken into ambulances amid the chaos.
