In a recent statement, former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji attributed the tragic stampede in Karur, which resulted in 41 deaths, to the lack of control over the gathering. He emphasized that such an incident is unacceptable under any circumstances. Balaji acknowledged the efforts of Chief Minister Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi, and other political leaders who visited Karur to support the affected families.Balaji clarified that he views the incident from a humanitarian perspective rather than a political one. Notably, 31 of the deceased were from Karur district, and he has been in direct contact with their families. He mentioned that one of the victims had attended a DMK event and died while watching the festivities.
Regarding the DMK’s event, Balaji stated that it was held in a private venue with provisions like drinking water and biscuits for attendees. In contrast, he pointed out that the gathering for actor Vijay’s event the following day lacked such facilities, with over 2,000 slippers found at the venue but no water bottles. He criticized the organizers for not arranging basic amenities for the crowd.
Balaji also highlighted that the crowd size increased significantly by 7:00 PM, coinciding with a payday, leading to overcrowding. He suggested that if the event had been held earlier, the tragedy might have been avoided. He further noted that the organizers did not heed police advice to control the crowd size.
He criticized actor Vijay for not addressing the crowd from the vehicle’s roof, which could have helped manage the crowd better. Balaji emphasized that the tragedy was due to an “uncontrolled crowd,” not just a large one.
Additionally, Balaji questioned why the BJP’s fact-finding team, which visited other places like Manipur and Prayagraj after incidents there, did not visit Karur. He suggested that the team should investigate the incident and also look into negative comments on social media related to the tragedy.