After the disastrous night, which claimed 40 lives in the horrendous stampede at the massive rally of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay, a pall of gloom descended on Karur, with most of the victims, including 8 children, hailing from the textile city, laid to rest on Sunday.
Even as the city is yet to recover from the shock, Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, retired Judge of Madras High Court, heading the Commission of Inquiry constituted by the state government to probe the incident, commenced the probe by visiting Veluchamy Puram, the venue of the stampede. With footwear in tens of thousands strewn all over the narrow road, where Vijay addressed the crowd, the place wore a haunting and deserted look. Shops have downed their shutters as the city was in mourning.
Nearly 30 of the Victims hailed from either Karur or its suburbs. The entire village of Emur Pudur near Karur was in tears since the hamlet accounted for five victims, including a mother and her daughter. A young couple, Akash and Gokula Sree of the sleepy textile city, who were betrothed and were to get married next month, as well as a mother, Hemalatha, and her two daughters, were among the victims. All the bodies of the deceased have been handed over to the families.
Chief Minister MK Stalin, who left Chennai and reached Karur in the small hours on Sunday, consoled the families of the victims gathered at the Government Medical College Hospital and visited the more than 50 patients under treatment, assuring all medical assistance. The Chief Minister, who paid his last respects to the deceased, had postponed his official tour to Ramanathapuram district and other engagements. The ruling DMK too has cancelled all its programmes as a mark of mourning. The state government had announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the victims and Rs 2 lakh for those injured.
Addressing the media at Karur, Stalin refused to be drawn into a political slugfest and he said, “No politically loaded comments. I had rushed to Karur as the television visuals of the horror deeply disturbed and pained me. It is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions since never before had such a thing happened in Tamil Nadu. An Inquiry Commission has been constituted and action will be taken as per its findings.”
Besides the Union Home Ministry, Tamil Nadu Governor had sought a report on the stampede and what had led to it, and the medical treatment provided to those admitted to hospitals. A steady stream of political leaders landed at the Karur Government Medical College Hospital to pay homage to the victims. They included Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK general Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, former CPI-M state secretary K Balakrishnan, Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman, and BJP leader K Annamalai.
Rattled and taken aback by the tragedy, Vijay, who reached Chennai on Saturday night itself, had cancelled his mass outreach on a caravan at Ranipet and Thirpattur districts the coming Saturday. Expressing profound grief, he had announced a financial relief of Rs 20 lakh each to the families of the victims and Rs 2 lakh for the injured. “I am at a loss for words to express the pain my heart endures. My eyes and mind are clouded with sorrow… This is indeed an irreparable loss for us… Yet, as a member of your family… it is my duty as one who belongs to your family to stand by you, my dear ones, with a heavy heart,” he wrote on ‘X’, adding “let us strive to recover from all this.”
With the police registering an FIR and forming special teams to investigate the incident, the TVK had alleged that the stampede was the result of a conspiracy and knocked at the doors of Madras High Court seeking either a probe by the CBI or by a court-monitored Special Investigation Team. “Justice M Dhandapani, before whom the plea was made, had said that it would be taken up on Monday afternoon by the Madurai Bench of the High Court. We have submitted that there was stone pelting and hurling of footwear to disrupt the rally, which was part of a conspiracy,” TVK leader Nirmal Kumar told the media.
Meanwhile, a political blame game had erupted between the ruling DMK and the opposition, with each accusing the other of the tragedy. BJP leader Annamalai and rebel AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam have demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident.