A stampede at Thalapathy Vijay’s public meeting in Karur killed 40 people and injured over 80. Among the dead were 10 children under 18, nine between 40 and 60, and the rest aged 18 to 40.
Vijay’s TVK Party faced heavy criticism after the tragedy. Many questioned why he did not meet the families of the victims. Opponents accused him of trying to escape responsibility by only announcing ex-gratia.
The BJP has openly attacked Vijay, calling him an enemy because he is a Christian. They allege he is helping the DMK by splitting votes. BJP leaders demanded his arrest, linking it to a similar case involving Allu Arjun in Telangana.
They recalled how the Congress Government arrested Allu Arjun after a stampede at Sandhya Theater. Back then, the actor was accused of continuing celebrations despite a death, which the Revanth Reddy Government used to jail him.
In Karur, Vijay left the venue immediately after the incident and flew to Chennai. Critics compared this to Allu Arjun’s case, questioning why Congress and its allies applied different rules.
The Tamil Nadu FIR on the Karur stampede avoided naming Vijay as an accused, reportedly to prevent sympathy for him. With Assembly elections next year, CM MK Stalin did not want to take risks. Cases were instead filed against lower-level TVK leaders.
Stalin later visited the victims and spoke to the press. When asked about Vijay’s arrest, he refused to answer, saying he would not respond to politically motivated questions.
Meanwhile, TVK moved the Madras High Court seeking a CBI probe, alleging a conspiracy. Petitions have also asked the court to stop Vijay from campaigning to avoid more accidents.
If the court orders a CBI inquiry, BJP’s response will be crucial since many believe the agency acts on the directives of the Saffron Party.
