AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday raised a conspiracy angle behind the tragic stampede at actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) rally at Tamil Nadu’s Karur, which claimed the lives of 39 people. The former Chief Minister, who visited the venue after the incident and met the injured at the hospital, raised doubts about reports that ambulances were spotted rushing in even before the stampede began.
Edappadi K. Palaniswami, also known as EPS, said there were speculations that the lights went off at the venue before Vijay began his speech at the rally. “Shortly after Vijay started speaking, there was a scuffle. There are reports that the lights went out just after Vijay started speaking,” EPS told reporters.
“While Vijay was speaking, several ambulances arrived. All this raises suspicion. Therefore, a thorough investigation should be conducted and action should be taken,” the EPS said.
His statement comes amid reports that Vijay, who was on stage, had just started his speech, attacking the DMK government, when he spotted the ambulances coming in. The actor-turned-politician immediately got suspicious and asked, "What is this, our flag on the ambulance?”
However, the authorities have not yet confirmed whether the ambulances arrived before or after the stampede.
EPS also criticised Vijay’s party for not taking enough steps to ensure security. “Vijay should have also paid close attention to this. What was the situation like when he traveled to four districts? He should have discussed and made preparations accordingly before holding the rally,” EPS said.
He also took a jibe at Vijay for turning up late for the event. “ If the meeting is not held at the appointed time and he comes several hours late, problems will arise. I do not want to blame anyone at this time. But we have lost precious lives,” he said.
The AIADMK chief also accused the DMK government of not doing enough to provide adequate security. “It was clear from watching the footage that there was a lack of security there. The situation wasn’t different in previous TVK meetings, too. They have not been involved in regulating the crowd at AIADMK events, too. At the same time, thousands of police are deployed for security for DMK meetings ,” he added.
Ambulances attacked
Meanwhile, there are reports that ambulance drivers, who were trapped in the Karur traffic jam, were attacked and robbed of their keys by the mob. Three drivers were injured and are undergoing treatment in the hospital, according to One India Tamil.
According to an ambulance driver, they came in to rescue people but were stopped by the mob. “We came in because we thought people were fighting for their lives here. But what can we do if they stop and beat us up ? The police came and tried to control the mob. But they defied the police. They snatched the keys of seven ambulances,” the driver added.