DMK eyes Option B as SC junks plea to restrain Vijay from commenting on Karur stampede

After getting rapped on the knuckles by the Supreme Court regarding its Karur petition, the DMK has decided to file a contempt of court petition against Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna instead and lodge a formal complaint with the committee of retired judges monitoring the CBI probe into the Karur stampede case.

This came after the Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 7) refused to entertain the party's petition seeking to restrain Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and other TVK ministers from making public comments on the Karur stampede case.

The apex court expressed clear disinclination to hear the matter and strongly criticised the DMK. The Bench told the DMK counsel to “read the documents properly” before making submissions in court, warning that failure to do so could lead to the petition being dismissed forthwith.

Also read: Karur stampede: CBI grills Senthil Balaji for 6 hours amid DMK-Vijay war

Following the court’s observations, the DMK lawyer withdrew the application. The Supreme Court granted the DMK liberty to pursue other available legal remedies. DMK MP and senior advocate Wilson said acting on the court’s observations, the party has decided to file the contempt petition.

What riled apex court?

The DMK had approached the Supreme Court seeking urgent directions to bar Vijay, ministers Aadhav Arjuna and CTR Nirmalkumar, and other TVK leaders from making public statements on the Karur stampede while the CBI inquiry was underway. The petition alleged attempts to influence witnesses.

Sources close to the proceedings revealed that the advocate appearing for the DMK before the Supreme Court had wrongly referred to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as an accused in the Karur stampede case. The Bench immediately clarified that Vijay was only a witness in the matter and not an accused.

This apparent factual error in the submission is believed to be one of the key reasons behind the court’s strong observations and its disinclination to entertain the DMK petition seeking to restrain Vijay and other TVK ministers from making public comments on the case.

DMK trying to block relief: TVK

At least 41 people were killed in the stampede that occurred on September 27, 2025, during a TVK gathering in Karur. A CBI probe into the tragedy is currently in progress. Vijay is scheduled to visit Karur on July 10 to meet the families of the victims.

Also read: Karur stampede probe: Vijay faces around 100 questions in 6-hour CBI grilling

Reacting to the developments, Nirmalkumar accused the DMK of trying to obstruct both the chief minister’s visit and relief measures for the victims. “DMK is preventing Chief Minister Vijay from entering Karur. They are filing petitions in court to impose bans on everything. Despite all this, the chief minister will meet the people of Karur,” the minister said.

He added that the party wanted to provide financial assistance to the affected families from its own funds, but claimed the DMK had approached the Supreme Court to block even that relief from reaching the victims. “We will soon rectify this as well and ensure the funds meant for them are delivered,” Nirmalkumar stated.

Lookout notice against Senthil Balaji

In a related development, Chennai’s Triplicane police have registered cases against DMK’s Karur leader V Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok Kumar for alleged conspiracy to topple the TVK government and horse-trading/poaching of TVK MLAs.

Also read: Karur stampede case: SC says 'something wrong' with Madras High Court

Summons were served directing the duo to appear for questioning on July 6. After they failed to turn up, police issued lookout notices at airports to prevent them from leaving the country. Police have already arrested several other individuals in the case, claiming they were acting on the Balaji brothers’ instructions.

‘Political vendetta’?

DMK organising secretary RS Bharati has strongly condemned the moves, calling them “a clear case of political vendetta and harassment” by the TVK government.

He alleged that the ruling dispensation was specifically targeting Senthil Balaji and wanted to arrest him before Vijay’s Karur visit, claiming the actions were driven by ulterior political motives rather than any genuine pursuit of justice connected to the stampede or other cases.

Also read: Senthil Balaji, brother face TN police lookout notice in alleged plot to topple TVK govt

Bharati maintained that these steps were aimed at settling political scores ahead of the chief minister’s scheduled meeting with the families of the stampede victims.

In a notable shift, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran has changed his earlier stance on the Karur stampede and has now directly accused Vijay of responsibility for the tragic incident.