Actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief Vijay on Monday met the families of the Karur stampede victims in Chennai. The meeting, held at a private hotel in Mahabalipuram, took place exactly one month after the tragic incident.
The TVK booked 50 rooms at the resort to enable Vijay to personally meet the bereaved families and convey his condolences in a closed-door meeting. Only TVK functionaries are allowed inside premises.
As many as 41 people lost their lives and more than 60 others sustained injuries in the stampede that occurred at the TVK meeting addressed by Vijay on September 27.
The proposed meeting sparked a debate on social media, with some users criticising the actor for arranging travel and accommodation for the affected families instead of visiting Karur himself to console them.
The party, however, clarified that the new arrangement was made because Vijay had been denied permission by authorities to visit the victims’ families in Karur.
Perumal of Velusamypuram, who lost his two minor daughters, told reporters it was inappropriate to summon the bereaved families. “He should visit them,” he said.
Another family member of one of the victims said, “They have arranged a bus for us to reach the venue. Many of us are going.”