Karur: BJP state President Nainar Nagenthran on Sunday lashed out at the DMK government over the Karur stampede that killed 39 people and left more than 50 others injured during actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay’s campaign rally.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the Karur Government Medical College Hospital mortuary, where post-mortems were underway, Nagenthran demanded accountability and a judicially monitored probe.
Nagenthran said the scale of the tragedy was “unprecedented and unacceptable” and called for the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the incident.
“The Tamil Nadu Police’s lethargy is evident in this tragedy. When opposition parties hold rallies, the government doesn’t provide adequate security. They knew Vijay’s rally would draw a huge crowd, but still allocated a narrow space and failed to control the surge,” he said.
Questioning the government’s relief measures, the BJP leader said the compensation of Rs 10 lakh announced by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for each victim’s family was “grossly inadequate.”
He demanded Rs one crore compensation per deceased family and adequate support for the injured.
“The government must realise the enormity of this disaster — 39 precious lives have been lost. Their families deserve justice and fair relief,” he asserted.
Nagenthran also alleged political bias and administrative lapses. “When DMK leaders visit, they are allowed to meet victims freely. But when we, the opposition, come to console families, we are deliberately delayed and obstructed,” he claimed.
He further accused the administration of dragging its feet on post-mortems and hinted at sabotage, citing reports of deliberate power outages at the venue.
He even named former Minister Senthil Balaji, claiming there were suspicions about his role in the mismanagement.
Linking the tragedy to what he called a “pattern of DMK negligence”, Nagenthran recalled the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy earlier this year. “Sixty-five people died then, yet the Chief Minister didn’t visit. Accountability is missing every time,” he said, demanding that those responsible for the Karur disaster resign immediately.
The BJP state chief’s remarks add to the growing political storm after the stampede.
The state government has ordered a judicial probe headed by retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, while Chief Minister Stalin visited Karur early Sunday to console survivors and families of the deceased.
(IANS)
