The aftermath of the tragic stampede at actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Karur rally on September 27 continues to unfold, focusing now on legal battles and a political war of words. The incident claimed 41 lives.

Legal Rejections and Judicial Questions

The Madras High Court has dismissed two key pleas related to the stampede.

First, a division bench rejected a request by BJP leader Uma Anandan seeking a CBI probe into the incident. Anandan had raised questions about official apathy, but the court declined the request, directing her to approach the Madurai bench, which holds jurisdiction over Karur.

Second, in a separate development, Justice N Senthilkumar dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by N Sathish Kumar, the Karur district secretary for Vijay’s party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The judge sharply questioned the party's handling of the massive crowd, citing the supporters' "unruly behaviour," which included a rampage and damage to public property. Police have registered nine FIRs against TVK members, including the district secretary, over the destruction caused during the roadshow.

Political Firestorm

While the courts dealt with the legal aspects, the stampede became a flashpoint for intense political criticism directed at the BJP.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin strongly criticized the BJP and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for quickly rushing a fact-finding team to Karur. Stalin accused the central government of hypocrisy, saying they had ignored the state during previous major disasters.

“When Tamil Nadu was struck by three major disasters, affecting thousands of people, the Union BJP Finance Minister neither visited nor provided any funds,” he stated.

Stalin further argued that the BJP’s sudden attention was not driven by "genuine concern for Tamil Nadu, but simply because elections are due next year." He pointedly noted that the BJP had not sent inquiry commissions for serious incidents like the Manipur riots, the Gujarat incidents, or the Kumbh Mela deaths, suggesting the Karur visit was purely political maneuvering.

Earlier, BJP MP Anurag Thakur, who was part of the delegation that visited Karur, had urged CM Stalin to take full charge and release a comprehensive report on the tragedy immediately.