Tamil Nadu’s Karur witnessed a massive political rally led by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay. However, the event took a tragic turn when over 33 people including children died and over 62 got injured and had to be rushed to the hospital.
Visuals shared online show a massive crowd gathered at night for a political rally. Thousands of people were seen packed tightly on both sides of the road, cheering and waving, while a large campaign vehicle made its way through the centre.
The crowd swelled and became uncontrollable, even as Vijay was addressing the gathering, leading to people fainting. The fainted people were shifted to hospitals in ambulances, and some of them are reportedly battling for their lives.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief on the incident and called the tragic incident “deeply saddening.”
Taking stock of the situation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that he has directed immediate medical assistance for the victims.
This is not the first time Vijay's rallies have come under scrutiny. His debut rally in Trichy earlier this month saw massive crowds escorting his convoy from the airport to the venue, turning a 20-minute ride into a six-hour traffic jam that brought the city to a halt.
Citing safety concerns, the police had imposed 23 conditions for TVK rallies, including a ban on joining convoys, public receptions, and advisories for pregnant women, the elderly and the differently abled to follow events online.
Courts, too, had made strong observations about public safety and the actor-politician's responsibility even as TVK alleged bias against the party. Despite Vijay's repeated appeals, most of these conditions were openly defied by his supporters. Many had brought in children and infants.
The Madras High Court, while hearing TVK's petition against "tough and unfulfillable conditions" imposed by the police for its rallies earlier this month, had questioned whether such restrictions were being applied to all parties.
Justice N Sathish Kumar referred to the chaos at Vijay's Tiruchi rally on September 13, and said, "If something untoward had happened, who would take responsibility? As party president, Vijay ought to control the crowds."
The Karur tragedy raises questions on both the TVK's accountability and the police's preparedness. Did the inordinate delay in Vijay's arrival contribute to the build-up and was it deliberate to showcase his mass support? Were adequate measures taken to avert such a disaster, given the warning signs from earlier rallies?
Comments
Add new comment