Thalapathy Vijay is finally meeting the victims of the Karur stampede and their families. The tragic incident last month claimed 41 lives and left over 80 injured during a rally organised by his party, TVK.
Right after the stampede, Vijay left for Chennai instead of visiting the hospital to meet the victims. Later, he released a video message announcing ex-gratia support, but it only drew more criticism. The opposition, including the Chief Minister, visited the families and took direct digs at Vijay’s response.
Now, Vijay is set to meet the victims but not at their homes. A venue is being arranged, and the victims or their families will be brought there. Vijay plans to console them personally and hand over ex-gratia cheques.
However, this move may backfire. Meeting the families at their homes would show empathy and humility. Asking them to come to him may appear arrogant.
In recent days, social media users have noticed that Vijay seems to imitate Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s style, especially his white shirt and golden-yellow pants. But if Vijay really wants to learn from Jagan, it should be his personal connection with the public, not his dressing sense.
Back in 2012, Jagan had insisted on personally visiting the families who mourned his father’s death. The Congress High Command, led by Sonia Gandhi, wanted him to meet everyone in one place instead. Jagan disagreed, broke away, and founded his own party a decision that defined his political rise.
Jagan’s success and setbacks both revolve around his personal touch. Between 2019 and 2024, when he lost that connection, he also lost the election. His career proves that public empathy drives political trust.
Vijay still has time to correct course. He should go directly to the victims’ homes and meet them himself. Ignoring that personal connection could turn the Karur stampede into a lasting blemish on his political journey.
