CM Vijay Makes First Karur Visit Since Stampede, Speech Draws DMK and AIADMK Backlash

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay visited Karur on July 10, his first trip to the district since a crowd crush at a TVK rally in September 2025 killed 41 people and injured around 100 others.

Vijay met the families of the deceased, handed over compassionate government job appointment orders to 32 affected families, and announced that a memorial would be built for the victims, describing it as "the most painful time of my life."

In his speech, Vijay rejected blame for the stampede, saying the police had failed to control the crowd and had in fact advised him against visiting Karur immediately after the tragedy. He accused DMK president MK Stalin of trying to pin the incident on him for political gain.

Vijay reserved sharp criticism for senior DMK leader V. Senthil Balaji, the former Karur-area minister, prompting Senthil Balaji to respond on X accusing Vijay of leaving the scene while people were dying, and contrasting it with Stalin's visit to Karur to oversee relief efforts at the time.

The AIADMK also criticised the Chief Minister's remarks, questioning how he could accuse the opposition of corruption without apologising for the stampede, and said the ongoing investigation into the incident would establish the facts.