A stampede at a campaign rally in Veluchamipuram, Karur, last Saturday left 41 people dead, including 8 children, sending shockwaves across the country. Following the tragedy, Karur Town Police have registered cases under five sections against Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Karur West District Secretary Mathiyazhagan, TVK General Secretary Bussy Anand, Joint General Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar, and others.
The case includes charges such as causing culpable death not amounting to murder under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, attempting to cause culpable death under Section 110, endangering the life or personal safety of others under Section 125, and disobeying an order duly issued by a public officer under Section 223.
TVK Karur West District Secretary Mathiyazhagan has been named as the first accused in this case. Mathiyazhagan, a native of the Thanthonimalai area of Karur, runs his own textile business and has been associated with Vijay’s fan club due to his immense admiration for him. When Vijay started the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party, Mathiyazhagan was appointed as the Karur West District Secretary. This tragic incident occurred while Vijay was holding a campaign rally in Veluchamipuram under Mathiyazhagan’s leadership.
Following the incident, Mathiyazhagan went into hiding, and five special police officers were actively searching for him. Mathiyazhagan, who was hiding in a house in the Gujiliamparai area of Karur, was arrested by the special police. The police are conducting further interrogation of Mathiyazhagan and plan to arrest General Secretary Anand, Joint General Secretary Nirmal Kumar, and others who are in hiding based on his statement.
Meanwhile, a controversial post published by Aadhav Arjuna, one of the TVK Deputy General Secretaries, has stirred controversy. In his post, he stated, “If the police become the servants of the ruling class like this, the only way to restore them is a youth revolution. Just as in Sri Lanka and Nepal, the youth and the Gen Z generation came together and created a revolution against the authorities, there be a youth uprising here as well. That uprising is going to be the foundation for regime change and the end of state terrorism…”
Many opposed Aadhav Arjuna’s post, criticising it as incitement to violence amidst the extraordinary situation in Tamil Nadu due to the Karur incident. Aadhav Arjuna deleted the post after the controversy intensified, but a screenshot of his post is going viral. Meanwhile, the DMK has strongly opposed Aadhav Arjuna’s comment.
DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai condemned him, saying, “A corrupt person caught in the clutches of the Enforcement Directorate, who is trying to make political deals by showing off the crowd and who has created a huge loss and great tragedy, is calling for a revolution. Is he dreaming that a revolution can be carried out by paying money and using 100 influencers?”
