Political Blame Game After Stampede: TVK Demands CBI Probe, Rally Ban Plea In HC

In the aftermath of the stampede that claimed at least 40 lives, the political landscape in Tamil Nadu has been shaken. Opposition parties quickly turned to the blame game, accusing one another of lapses and irresponsibility, eager to extract mileage from the disaster. 

For the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), however, the tragedy has spiralled into an existential crisis. Barely months into its public mobilisation, the fledgling party now finds itself struggling to cope with the fallout of a catastrophe it had not anticipated.

On the ground, grief and anger run deep. Families of the victims wait for answers and support, while party workers — many of whom had rallied ordinary people to attend Vijay’s meeting — are themselves devastated. Instead of a show of solidarity, they have been left bewildered by their leader’s actions. 

Vijay’s decision to move to Chennai, without visiting the injured in hospital or paying his respects to the dead, has stunned district-level leaders and his fans  who feel abandoned at a critical moment.

Rivals have begun to frame the episode as evidence of Vijay’s inexperience and lack of political instinct.

For TVK, the tragedy is no longer just a moment of grief; it is a test of survival in Tamil Nadu’s unforgiving political arena. How Vijay and his party navigate this moment will likely shape not only their credibility, but also their very future in state politics.  

“It was the first real test of his leadership, and Vijay has miserably failed in it,” observed senior journalist Priyan Srinivasan. He contrasted the actor-turned-politician’s response with that of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, praising the latter for the speed and decisiveness with which he moved to the scene. “Political parties have already shifted into the blame game,” Priyan noted.

“The AIADMK and the BJP have been quick to accuse the authorities of lapses in crowd management. But regardless of how the political blame is apportioned, for the TVK this accident has turned into a massive setback — a disaster that has shaken its credibility before it could even properly establish itself,”  he tells Outlook.

The loss of credibility for Vijay and his fledgling party is starkly reflected in the reactions of the victims’ relatives and friends. A petition has already been filed before the Madras High Court seeking a ban on TVK’s political rallies until investigations into the stampede are completed. “The right to life takes precedence over the right to assembly,” argued Senthil Kannan, the petitioner who approached the court.

Among those who had travelled long distances to attend the Karur rally, bitterness runs deep. Some had come out of political interest, others merely to catch a glimpse of the actor-turned-politician. “After driving us to tragedy, he has gone to sleep in his air-conditioned room in Chennai,” said Seetha, who had journeyed from Erode, voicing a sentiment shared by many in the crowd.

The human toll has been devastating. Two-year-old Dhruv Vishnu was the youngest victim of the stampede, which left 40 dead. Ten minors lost their lives, while a majority of the deceased were young men and women in the 20–35 age group. The tragedy has left not only families shattered but also raised fundamental questions about the risks of mass mobilisation in Tamil Nadu’s already charged political culture.

Meanwhile, the TVK leadership has sought to turn the narrative outward, demanding a CBI inquiry and alleging a conspiracy behind the incident. Party coordinator Arivazhagan announced that the organisation would approach the High Court to press for a central investigation, directly accusing ruling party functionaries in Karur of orchestrating the chaos. In sharp contrast, the police have booked several top TVK leaders — including general secretary N. Anand, joint general secretary Nirmal Kumar, and Karur West district secretary V.P. Mathiyazhagan — under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, among other sections. Anand, widely considered the number two in the party, faces particularly serious scrutiny, putting TVK’s organisational core under legal and moral pressure.

“The only film star who truly succeeded in converting fan following into political capital was M.G. Ramachandran,” noted Srinivasan. “Vijay had begun well, and with the AIADMK struggling to regain political rhythm, there was a real opening for him in Tamil Nadu politics. I don’t think he will withdraw, but the next step he takes will be even more critical.”

TVK, launched in February 2024, had positioned itself as a serious contender in the state’s political landscape. Vijay began his ambitious statewide tour on September 13, aiming to complete it by December 20, ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

But the September 27 stampede has abruptly pushed the party into its deepest crisis yet — a tragedy that has not only shaken public trust but also cast a long shadow over Vijay’s carefully crafted political debut.