FIR Blames TVK Chief Vijay for Deliberate Delay and Unauthorized Roadshow Leading to Fatal Karur Stampede

FIR Blames TVK Chief Vijay for Deliberate Delay and Unauthorized Roadshow Leading to Fatal Karur Stampede

Vijay has been critical of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing both outfits of playing “dirty politics of corruption and hatred”.

RMN News Political Desk
New Delhi

Chennai, September 29, 2025

A First Information Report (FIR) regarding a devastating stampede in Karur, which reportedly led to the deaths of 41 people, has specifically pointed blame at popular actor-turned-politician Vijay, the chief of the recently launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party. The FIR alleges that the actor deliberately delayed his movement and conducted a roadshow without proper authorization, worsening the conditions that resulted in the tragedy.

Allegations of Deliberate Delay

The TVK leadership, according to the FIR accessed by India Today, stands accused of intentionally delaying Vijay’s entry into Karur by four hours. The document suggests this delay was aimed at creating a larger crowd, describing the move as a deliberate effort “to show a massive crowd as a political statement”.

The rally’s organizer, District Secretary Mathiyazhagan, had reportedly sought permission for 10,000 attendees, but news of the 50-year-old actor’s visit caused the crowd to swell to over 25,000. The delay resulted in thousands of people standing in the sun and becoming exhausted. Though the report’s main text cites 41 deaths, the FIR summary noted that 11 people died in the stampede and several others were admitted to the hospital due to critical injury.

Details of the event timeline suggest a deteriorating situation: Vijay reached the district border at Velayudhampalayam around 4:45 pm but allegedly delayed his movement. His convoy did not reach Veluchamipuram until 7:00 pm, by which time the gathering had become unmanageable.

Police officials reportedly warned the TVK leaders, including Mathiyazhagan, Bushi Anand, and CTR Nirmal Kumar, that the crowd situation was “spiralling out of control” and posed risks of suffocation and injury; however, these warnings were allegedly ignored. The deaths resulted partly from people climbing trees and makeshift roadside shelters, which collapsed under the weight, trapping and suffocating those standing beneath them.

Legal Repercussions and Political Context

Three senior TVK leaders have been formally named in the case: District Secretary Mathiyazhagan, State General Secretary Bushi Anand, and State Joint Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar. They have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, specifically Sections 105, 110, 125 (b), and 223, in addition to Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Public Property Act.

This legal crisis casts a shadow over the recent formal entry of actor Vijay—who works primarily in Tamil cinema—into the Indian political arena. Vijay announced his electoral debut months prior, holding his first rally in Villupuram district on Sunday (October 27).

In launching Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Vijay has emphasized that the party will adhere to secular principles and the ideology of social justice. His political vision includes promises to promote Tamil as the administrative language in courts and to advocate for the abolition of the Governor’s post, arguing that governors often “pose hindrance in political processes”.

Furthermore, Vijay has been critical of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing both outfits of playing “dirty politics of corruption and hatred”.

Despite the controversy, the “real test for Vijay’s political moves” remains the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, which is currently scheduled to take place in 2026.