In the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly session, AIADMK MLAs, under the leadership of their general secretary and opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami, staged a walkout after heated exchanges concerning the tragic Karur stampede incident that claimed 41 lives.
The incident, which occurred during a political rally in Karur district on September 27, has sparked widespread political turmoil and blame games within the state.
During the assembly debate, Palaniswami held the ruling DMK government responsible for the deaths in the stampede, questioning multiple inconsistencies. He specifically raised pointed questions about how ambulances involved in the relief efforts bore DMK party stickers, questioning the politicization of a tragedy.
He also challenged the timing of the autopsies, asking why 39 bodies were examined in a very short span early in the morning when generally a single autopsy takes much longer.The situation further escalated when Health Minister Sivasankar made a controversial reference to the 2018 Thoothukudi firing incident, which drew sharp criticism from the opposition. AIADMK leaders demanded that his remarks be expunged from the assembly records.
When Speaker denied this request, the opposition MLAs vocally protested by shouting slogans and eventually walked out, bringing the proceedings to a halt.The Karur tragedy, which happened during a rally organized by actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), saw a fatal crowd crush during a gathering of over 27,000 people, resulting in 41 deaths, including several minors, and numerous injuries. Investigations led by the state government and police have already implicated several TVK party organizers for negligence, with further inquiry now being overseen by a Supreme Court-appointed committee monitoring a CBI probe.
Opposition leader Palaniswami emphasized that political rivalries must not overshadow the need for accountability and justice for the victims, demanding transparency in the investigation and relief efforts.
The AIADMK’s walkout reflected the deep political divisions in Tamil Nadu over handling the aftermath of the stampede and the ongoing blame between the ruling DMK and opposition parties.