Actor-politician Vijay, who is the chief of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, has broken his silence days after the deadly Karur stampede, which killed 41 and injured dozens of others.
On a statement posted to X, he said, "I have never faced such a tragic situation in my life before. My heart is filled with grief. During my tours, people come to see me out of love and affection, and I am always deeply grateful for this.”
He claimed that he left Karur after the incident to create further problems. “When I considered returning, I feared it might create further tension and lead to more problems, so I decided not to go back," he said.
“My priority has always been the safety of the people, and I choose venues with their well-being in mind. We ensure that proper permissions are obtained from the police for these venues. Leaving aside all politics, we always request permission from the police for a safe place.”
He said that he will meet the victims of the tragedy soon. “But things that shouldn't have happened have happened. I will soon meet the victims. I convey my deepest condolences to the family who are grieving due to the loss,” he added.
He asked the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, to not touch the party members and said that the truth would come out soon. His party colleagues, including senior leaders Bussy N Anand and CTR Nirmal Kumar, are under police investigation in connection with the stampede that occurred on September 27.
“My party functionaries have been arrested by the police. Chief Minister, sir, I request you, please do not harm my party functionaries. You may come to my house or my office and take any action against me, but not against them. Soon, every truth will come out."
Right after the incident, the TVK’s top leader ship filed petitions to the courts accusing conspiracy. Several FIRs were filed against the party and its top functionaries. The FIR filed by Karur police, however, did not name Vijay.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President and MP Thol Thirumavalavan has strongly opposed demands to arrest Vijay. He said that the demand was meaningless when the TN Government already had an investigation going. He also said that calling for his arrest had no basis as his name was not in the FIR.