TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna to visit families of Karur stampede victims; seeks protection
Karur: TVK General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna has announced plans to visit the families of the 41 individuals who lost their lives in the devastating stampede at Veluchamipuram in Karur.
He is likely to personally offer condolences and extend financial assistance to the bereaved households. To ensure a safe and smooth visit amid the tense atmosphere, Aadhav has filed a petition in court requesting adequate security arrangements before he proceeds.
This move comes as Arjuna broke his silence nearly 29 hours after the tragedy with a deeply emotional post on X, where he shared his personal grief and drew parallels to the pain of those who lost loved ones.
“For the past twenty-four hours, I have been living through the greatest sorrow of my life. The cries of those who died are shaking my heart. I am struggling to overcome the pain of death,” he wrote.
Recalling his childhood trauma, he added, “When I was five years old, I saw my mother die by suicide. That pain has returned with these deaths. I cannot yet prepare my mind to bear the grief these families are going through.”
The stampede, which occurred late Saturday night during a massive TVK campaign event, claimed 27 lives from the Karur district alone, while others were from Erode, Dindigul, Tiruppur and Salem.
One village, Emur, lost five members, including Priyadarshini and her young daughter Tharanika, as well as Chandra, Arukkani and 10-year-old Prithik — a tragedy that has deeply shaken the region.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed profound sorrow and said he had instructed immediate relief and medical assistance.
“Every possible step is being taken to save lives and support the bereaved families,” he said.
Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami offered condolences while demanding accountability for what he called poor crowd management. “The administration should have been better prepared to manage such a massive crowd. Those responsible must be held accountable,” he said.
TVK president and actor Vijay, who has announced Rs 20 lakh compensation to each bereaved family and Rs 2 lakh for the injured, called the tragedy “an irreparable loss that no words of comfort can ease.”
Authorities continue to investigate the lapses in safety measures that led to the deadly crush.