The tragic count of casualties from the stampede during actor Thalapathy Vijay's rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday has risen to 40. Over 60 individuals remain hospitalized, with at least two reported to be critically injured. This incident is considered one of the most significant political tragedies the state has seen in recent years.
Amid these events, a new controversy over power cuts has emerged. Victims and Vijay's party, Tamilga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), allege that there was a blackout for about half an hour between 7 and 7:30 PM on Saturday when Vijay was expected, leading to chaos and ultimately contributing to the stampede.
The Government Denies Power Cut Allegations
The state government has countered these claims. Tamil Nadu's fact-check team, via Karur’s Collector and ADGP’s update on social media platform X, pronounced, 'There was no power outage during the event. Although TVK requested to halt power supply, this wasn't executed. Any dimming of lights was due to generator issues installed by the party.'
Vijay's Party Demands CBI Investigation
The government claims that electricity was briefly cut only to remove the crowd from dangerous areas, but there was no cut after Vijay’s arrival. Following the incident, political accusations have escalated. TVK demands a CBI investigation and condemns it as a conspiracy.
Meanwhile, the BJP accuses the DMK government of severe negligence. Charges have been filed against Vijay's close aides, and the party has petitioned the Madras High Court for an independent investigation. The Tamil Nadu government has established a judicial commission to probe the incident, which has commenced dialogue with victim families and has visited hospitals.
