Bengaluru, September 28
Karnataka Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and BJP MLC, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, called the Karur stampede very unfortunate and stated that it was the failure of both the state government and actor-politician Vijay.
Speaking to ANI, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, "It is unfortunate. The government and the event organiser should have taken precautionary measures. Vijay is new with no experience. On the other hand, the government also completely failed to control the crowd; therefore, it should have taken measures even before the event began. On one side, the government has failed, and on the other side, Vijay has also failed. The state government should declare one crore compensation to each victim, and Vijay should also declare the same amount of compensation."
Karnataka Minister Sharan Prakash also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Karur stampede that claimed 40 lives and injured several.
Speaking to ANI, Sharan Prakash said, "This is a very unfortunate incident... The government should issue standard operating procedures and some guidelines for conducting huge programmes so such incidents don't happen in future..."
Karur Collector M Thangavel confirmed on Sunday that at least 40 people died in the incident. The state government announced immediate relief measures, including a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those undergoing medical treatment. Emergency teams and doctors were deployed to provide urgent care, and hospital facilities were strengthened with additional beds to manage the influx of patients.
Addressing a press conference alongside ADGP (Law and Order) S Davidson Devasirvatham, the Collector Thangavel said, "A total of 40 people have died in the stampede so far. The Chief Minister arrived immediately at night and ordered proper treatment for the injured. He announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those receiving treatment. A help desk has been opened at the hospital... The Tamil Nadu government has taken steps to prevent further deaths."
The massive crowd at Vijay's rally reportedly turned chaotic, triggering panic. Several attendees fainted and were rushed to nearby hospitals. Sources had said that overcrowding at the venue led to the tragedy.
Chief Minister MK Stalin visited the Government Medical College and Hospital in Karur late Saturday night, met the injured, and paid tribute to those who lost their lives.
The Chief Minister further announced the formation of a one-member Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired High Court Judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report to the government.
Meanwhile, TVK chief and actor Vijay announced financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for each bereaved family and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. He also announced an amount of Rs 50,000 each for the people injured in the tragic incident.
"PM Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the unfortunate incident at a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the PMO posted on X.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Why is a Karnataka BJP leader commenting on Tamil Nadu's internal matter? This seems like political opportunism. Let the Tamil Nadu government handle their state's affairs and focus on the investigation.
Appreciate that CM Stalin immediately visited the injured and announced compensation. The commission of inquiry is a good step to prevent such tragedies in future. Safety should be priority number one for all public events.
As someone who has attended political rallies in India, I can say crowd management is often neglected. Proper barricades, entry-exit points, and crowd control measures are essential. Hope this tragedy leads to better safety standards nationwide.
Vijay has shown responsibility by announcing substantial compensation. Being new to politics doesn't make him solely responsible - the local administration and police should have managed the crowd better. Let's not play blame games during such tragedies.
The PM's relief fund contribution is appreciated, but Rs 50,000 for injured seems inadequate given medical costs. Hope all political parties learn from this and implement proper safety protocols for all public gatherings.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.