Though not of this nature, incidents have been reported during rallies and campaign events organised by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and its leader Vijay before the tragic incident in Karur, claimed a panel of Tamil Nadu government officials who briefed media on Tuesday.
Detailing with visuals how the stampede during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor Vijay's rally in Karur unfolded on Saturday, a team of government officials led by Tamil Nadu Revenue Secretary P. Amudha briefed the media on steps taken by the state government in connection with the rally.
From TVK's request letter to relief operations, the official panel maintained that steps were taken to ensure the safety of the crowd and briefed on how the relief operation unfolded. Trying to address various conspiracy theories being floated in connection with the tragic incident, the officials tried to clarify how ambulances reached the spot immediately after the incident and why autopsy was conducted in night.
Responding to a question on intelligence failure and whether police failed in gauging the strength of the crowd that could turn up, ADGP (law and Order) Davidson Devasirvatham said adequate police personnel were deployed to the public's security. Saying incidents of public injuries during the Karur event were not first, the senior police officer said 34 persons were hospitalised in Namakkal, after they fell unconscious due to heatstroke.
"Several road accidents happened when Vijay's vehicle was on the move. During events, 42 persons suffered injuries during Vijay's rally in Villupuram, Madurai 14, Trichy 12, Ariyallur six, Tiruvarur 16, and Nagapattinam five," said Devasirvatham. The ADGP said during TVK's conference in Madurai, despite the party's special arrangements, a group of youth breached the sterile area close to the stage, and two teams led by SP-rank officers had to use force to disperse them.
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Responding to questions of how ambulances reached the spot so soon, Health Secretary P. Sethilkumar said the ambulances that reached the spot initially were those organised by the party itself. "Five ambulances were arranged by the party at the campaign site, and two accompanied Vijay's vehicle. Besides it, six 108 ambulances were mobilised. Totally, 50 ambulances were deployed to rush the injured to hospitals," he said. He added the relief operation, which started at 7.14pm and continued till 9.45pm on September 27.
Responding to allegations of DMK's conspiracy behind the Karur stampede, Amudha said the government has formed a one-member judicial commission to probe the incident, and it will reveal all the truth regarding the incident.