Tamil Nadu’s top cop G Venkataraman has said that a seven-hour delay in actor-politician Vijay’s arrival at his rally led to an uncontrollable surge of supporters.
At least 39 people were killed and nearly 100 others injured in a stampede at a political rally held by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur on Saturday.
In a late-night press conference, Mr Venkataraman said the organisers put the expected number at 10,000, but about 27,000 people turned up. He said that 500 personnel were deployed for the rally.
“Earlier rallies of TVK had smaller crowds, but this time the turnout was far higher than expected,” Mr Venkataraman said.
He said that there was a crowd surge after the TVK party announced on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle that 51-year-old Vijay would arrive at the meeting venue by 12 noon. The permission for the rally, however, was sought between 3 pm-10 pm, he said.
“The permission was sought between 3 pm-10 pm. The TVK Twitter account said he would come at 12, and the crowd started coming in from 11 AM. He came at 7.40 PM. The people lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun,” he said, adding it was “too early to say what exactly triggered the stampede.”
Videos from the venue showed thousands of people surrounding a large campaign vehicle on top of which Vijay was seen standing and speaking.
Visuals also showed Vijay throwing water bottles from the top of the vehicle to fainting supporters and calling for police help when the crowd became uncontrollable.
Vijay On Karur Stampede
Vijay, who has drawn massive crowds to his public meetings since launching Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in 2024, said he was “heartbroken” and in “unbearable pain” following the Karur stampede.
“My heart is broken; I am in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow,” he wrote on X.
“I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of my dear brothers and sisters who lost their lives in Karur. I pray for the swift recovery of those receiving treatment in the hospital,” he added.
Vijay has been campaigning ahead of state elections, due to be held in early 2026.
The tragedy has revived scrutiny of TVK’s rallies, which have witnessed repeated violations of restrictions. Despite a ban on roadshows, Vijay’s drive to venues practically turned into roadshows, with hundreds of cadres joining his convoy.
Courts had earlier warned of such risks, placing responsibility on both the actor-politician and the police.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced a commission headed by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan to probe whether the police underestimated the scale of the rally, or whether Vijay’s delayed arrival was a deliberate tactic to amplify crowds, a miscalculation that ended in one of Tamil Nadu’s worst political rally disasters.