NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu Prime Minister MK Stalin addressed the Karur tragedy in the Assembly on Wednesday, which saw an onslaught on the actor-turned-politician Vijay41 people were killed at the rally. He blamed crowd management and Vijay and said the delay in the leader’s arrival resulted in severe congestion.“Karur has shocked the conscience of entire Tamil Nadu and expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. A total compensation of ₹ 4.87 crore has been awarded to the families of the victims in the Legislative Assembly.He said organizers had failed to provide adequate facilities such as food, water and toilets, particularly for women.
“A large crowd followed the caravan and although the police had asked to stop the bus in front of them, the organizers refused. The campaign vehicle, which entered the crowd against the advice of the police, caused rioting and suffocation, especially among women and children, which led to the fall. Some people entered the generator room, which prompted the operator to switch it off. The police immediately informed about ambulances as the Organizers had not ordered any before,” he said.Stalin also criticized the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vetteri Kazhagam (TVK), saying party cadres attacked two ambulances, delaying rescue operations after the incident and leading to two arrests.Stalin added that the government took immediate action and reached Karur the same night to meet affected families and coordinate with health authorities. “The first person was admitted to hospital at 7:47 p.m.,” he said.He also explained that TVK chief Vijay’s event on September 27 faced several logistical issues. “The TVK leader’s event was held on September 27. The party’s district secretary had sought permission to hold meetings at several places, but permission was denied at most places, including the lighthouse, due to traffic and other reasons. Finally, permission was granted at Veluchamy Puram under 11 conditions and security arrangements were made with 517 police personnel hit,” said Stalin.Vijay arrived seven hours late despite the announced time of 12 p.m., which led to a huge crowd. “A total of 606 officers and police were on duty that day. The deployment was higher than usual as a large crowd was expected. The organizers had specified the event time as 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the approval letter, but during a press conference it was announced that the leader would arrive at 12 p.m. This resulted in people gathering much earlier.” “After the completion of the Namakkal event, the leader reached Karur almost seven hours later than announced, resulting in severe congestion,” he said.Stalin said the government had provided 400 additional beds and deployed 152 health workers. “All but one of those admitted have returned home. Since the mortuary did not have enough space, special permission was obtained from the Collector for an autopsy. A team of 24 doctors conducted the post mortems and conducted 39 autopsies on September 27 at 1:45 am and on September 28 at 1:10 pm,” he added.The Supreme Court has issued an interim order transferring the case to the CBI and the state government will act as per the final verdict.“I have been in politics for 50 years and have always ensured that events are conducted according to rules and conditions. No leader wants his cadres to die. People’s lives are of utmost importance,” Stalin said.
