Police Lathicharge Caused Karur Stampede, TVK Claims In Court; Govt Rejects
Vijay's TVK party blamed a police lathicharge for the Karur stampede that killed 41, a claim the DMK government refuted as baseless.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), told the Madras High Court on Friday that last weekend’s stampede in Karur district, which claimed lives of 41 persons including children and resulted in the injury of over 60 members, was triggered by a police lathicharge. The party alleged that the chaos and loss of life were a direct consequence of the police action.
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government, however, dismissed the allegation as “baseless,” asserting that no evidence supports TVK’s claim, as reported by NDTV.
Madras HC Rejects Bail Of TVK Member
In a related development, Justice N Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of TVK’s Namakkal district secretary, N Sathish Kumar, who faces charges linked to the Karur tragedy. The judge questioned why the party had failed to rein in its cadre, pointing to allegations of vandalism and destruction of public property during a roadshow led by TVK Chief Vijay.
Government Advocate S Santhosh told the court that nine FIRs have been filed against TVK members, including Sathish Kumar, and strongly opposed the bail plea, citing the seriousness of the charges.
Stalin Slams Nirmala Sitharaman's Visit To Karur
Meanwhile, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin criticized the BJP and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for their prompt visit to Karur after the stampede, alleging that the Centre’s concern was selective. He noted that Tamil Nadu had often been neglected during previous disasters, implying that the recent attention was driven more by political considerations than genuine empathy.
He said, as per ANI, "They (BJP) think they can gain some political mileage out of this (Karur stampede deaths) or use it to threaten someone. The BJP is in a position where it survives by sucking someone else's blood."
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