Walking the extra mile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday visited the families of the victims of the stampede at the massive rally of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) at the textile city of Karur which had claimed 41 lives.
Taking into her arms the family members of 7-year-old Krithik Yadav, who died in the stampede, the Finance Minister offered her condolences and consoled them, expressing profound grief.
“Crushed by the crowd, he fell down and when we rescued him, he complained of difficulty in breathing. There are many hospitals in the area and the police could have saved his life,” a lady sobbing uncontrollably in that modest house told the Finance Minister.
Next, she visited the families of Arukkani (60), living in a tin shed, 10-year-old Prithik and 32-year-old Ravi Krishnan, one after the other, accompanied by BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran and local BJP functionaries. At all the houses, the shamiana put up for the funeral were yet to be removed.
Even as the city is recovering from that shock and the Judicial probe by retired Judge, Aruna Jagadeesan carrying out investigation for the second consecutive day, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on her arrival drove straight Velusamypuram at Vengamedu area, the site of the horrendous tragedy.
Leading a team of BJP leaders which included Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan and BJP Mahila Morcha national president Vanathi Sreenivsan, MLA, she inspected the place where thousands of footwear lie strewn around, presenting a haunted picture.
A police officer explained to her why permission for the rally was given at that place since other places sought by the TVK functionaries were crowded with residential and business establishments.
“Accessible to the Erode Highway, Velusamypuram was also the place where AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) addressed a rally attended by around 15,000 people a few days ago. “The TVK submitted that they expected a crowd strength of 10,000. But, the crowd far exceeded their estimate,” he said.
After the inspection of the stampede site, she visited the Government Medical College Hospital where patients who sustained injuries in the rally were being treated. She enquired about how they got injured and the treatment being given.