970x125
Actor-politician Vijay’s rallies scheduled for the next two weeks are being “temporarily postponed”, his party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) said on Wednesday, with the development coming days after 41 people were killed in a stampede at his rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district on September 27.
970x125
“In this situation where we are in pain and sorrow over the loss of our loved ones, the public meeting programme of our party leader for the next two weeks is being temporarily postponed,” TVK said in a post on X. “New details regarding these public meetings will be announced later.”
At least 41 people, including women and children, were killed in the stampede at Vijay’s political rally on September 27. On Tuesday, Vijay, in a recorded video statement, broke his silence on the incident and accusing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led state government of sabotaging his rally. He also targeted Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin.
Following the incident, TVK Karur district secretary Mathiyazhagan and party’s Karur town functionary MC Paun Raj were arrested and sent to judicial custody till October 14. Reacting to the development, Vijay in his video message asked chief minister Stalin to not harm his party functionaries. “…I will be available at my house or in my office and you can take any action against me, but not against them,” he added.
The TVK has moved the Madras high court, seeking a CBI probe into what it claims “political conspiracy” behind the incident. Party functionaries have claimed DMK MLA from Karur and former minister Senthil Balaji’s hand in the stampede.
Responding to the allegation, Senthil Balaji on Wednesday said the deaths should not be politicised.
“I do not wish to view this politically. Of the 41 victims, 39 were from Karur. Without blaming anyone, we must ensure that such incidents do not occur in the coming days,” Balaji told reporters. “This situation should not be politicised. Whatever party’s event may be in the future, we must join together and take the necessary steps to prevent such incidents… If you visit the venue where the rally was held, you will find thousands of footwear but not even a single empty water bottle. It is the responsibility of the political party to provide facilities like drinking water and biscuits to those attending the gathering.”
Apart from arresting two TVK leaders in connection with the stampede, the state cyber crime police on Tuesday also booked TVK’s campaign management general secretary Aadhav Arjuna over a now-deleted social media post, calling for the state’s youth to “revolt” against the DMK regime on the lines of the recent Gen Z protest in Nepal.
970x125
