Edappadi K. Palaniswami, general secretary of the AIADMK, raised concerns regarding the police’s and state government’s role in the deadly stampede that resulted in 39 fatalities during a political event hosted by actor and TVK chief Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu. After meeting with victims’ families, Palaniswami shared his thoughts with reporters, stating, “Yesterday, 39 people lost their lives. We were informed that the stampede occurred because of an electric current. Such a campaign was previously held in four districts, and the police should have provided adequate security. I don’t think that was done,” as reported by ANI.
Palaniswami criticized the police for what he termed a biased approach to security at political events, remarking, “Even in our AIADMK meeting, no proper security was provided. In DMK meetings, thousands of police are deployed for security.” He emphasized that police should not favor the ruling party over opposition parties when offering security.
Regarding the responsibilities of event organizers, he noted that the party leader should have ensured safety protocols were in place, stating, “If full security had been given, such a stampede would not have happened.” He added that political leaders should take sufficient measures to prevent such incidents.
Palaniswami also questioned the preparedness and efficiency of the state administration during the event, asserting, “If the Government and police had worked well, such lives would not have been lost.” He expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the official inquiry launched to investigate the incident. Although a one-man commission has been appointed, he mentioned remaining doubts, citing that “Vijay pointed out that an ambulance had arrived in between,” which raised questions about the circumstances.
Describing the event as unprecedented in scale, he stated, “I saw yesterday’s stampede was shocking, and such a huge stampede has never happened before in Tamil Nadu in a political campaign.” The stampede reportedly stemmed from overcrowding and panic at the venue. In response to the tragedy, the state government has initiated an inquiry into the incident.
