Karur tragedy: Did TVK overlook cops' red flag?

Tamil Nadu’s intelligence sources have said the disastrous stampede which took place at a political rally in Karur on September 27, killing 41 people including women and children, could have been avoided had leaders of the organising Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) informed their cadre about the event’s actual timing and did not make people wait for its supremo, Vijay, from morning till dusk.

What was even worse was that the party’s leaders turned a deaf ear to the local police’s last-minute warning against moving into the venue, which was already overcrowded.

Also read: How taxpayers end up paying for stampedes as parties shy away from insuring events

Senior police officers in Karur told The Federal that they had cautioned TVK organisers about the risk of moving the big caravan to Velusamypuram, the location in Karur where the tragedy happened, but to no avail.

'Playing visuals saw more chaos'

“We had explained that the crowd was already massive at Velusamypuram. It would be risky to reach the place because the crowd from Namakkal was also following him (Vijay). We suggested that Vijay could address people at the entrance of Karur. Instead, he switched off the lights and played visuals on the screen, which only pushed people to follow him further,” said one officer.

Another officer said confusing people about the timing of the event triggered the chaos.

“The TVK got permission for the event between 3 pm and 10 pm. But announcements were made that Vijay would speak at 12 noon. By 2 pm, the crowd had swollen to unbelievable numbers. Organisers kept playing songs, creating confusion about his arrival. People were not ready to leave until they saw Vijay,” he said.

Also read: Vijay speaks on Karur stampede tragedy, challenges Stalin govt

According to officials, TVK leaders initially promised the district administration that Vijay’s speech would end by 5:30 pm. But the delay in his arrival, coupled with people fainting and being unable to leave the crowd, resulted in the disaster. Nearly 28,000 people had gathered, including 7,000 women. The crowd occupied every inch of the venue, leaving no room to move.

'EPS rally was well managed'

“We had deployed 134 police personnel for AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami’s meeting, held just two days earlier. For Vijay’s rally, we arranged 500 police personnel. Around 15,000 people attended EPS’s meeting, and we managed the crowd without lapses. But at Vijay’s rally, neither the organisers nor the cadre cooperated with us,” the officials alleged.

Also read: Karur tragedy I A heart-broken father mourns his son, who took leave to see Vijay

They also pointed out that TVK had initially preferred smaller venues like Uzhavar Sandhai and Lighthouse Roundtana. “Had the event been held at those narrower spots, the death toll might have been even higher,’’ officials said.

'Propaganda was already doing rounds'

When asked why they did not stop Vijay from proceeding to Velusamypuram, they said, “There was already propaganda by the TVK that the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) government and the police were trying to stop Vijay by imposing unwanted conditions. So we chose not to intervene further.”

Karur MP Jothimani told The Federal that Karur town roads could only handle a maximum of 10,000 people. “That crowd size alone would cause traffic jams. Unless party workers actively divert the crowd, chaos is inevitable. On top of this, the rally was held on a Saturday, which is a salary and job-order completion day for many textile firms. Workers were leaving in lorries with wages, and many were caught in the crowd as roads got blocked,” she said.

Also read: Karur stampede exposes ugly face of roadshow politics; is anyone listening?

“The organisers failed to understand the local demography and venue capacity. There were no second-rung leaders to manage the rally. Nobody was there to guide the people. It was heart-wrenching to see several children getting crushed. Senior TVK leaders should have realised that people waiting for hours without food or water would collapse,’’ Jothimani said.

Vijay makes video address

Vijay spoke about the stampede on Tuesday (September 30), stating in a video address that the truth would be revealed soon, as he challenged the DMK government in the state.

He also questioned why the incident happened in Karur, hinting at a conspiracy.

Also read: Karur stampede: A rally that stole children, mothers and faith in a star

Calling the tragedy the most painful moment of his political career, the actor-turned-politician said his "heart was filled with sorrow". He said the people who had come to meet him during the campaign did so out of affection, and that he remained "indebted" to that love forever.

The TVK chief said safety had always been his topmost priority when it comes to organising rallies. He added that the locations were chosen after consulting with the police. He emphasised that the precautions were taken in good faith on Saturday, but the "unfortunate" still happened.

Also read: ‘Repeated TVK failures ended in Karur stampede’: Lensman recalls ‘pattern of chaos’

Vijay said that while he felt he could not simply leave the place after such a disaster, he also feared that returning there might provoke more chaos.

Criticising the legal action taken against his party leaders and members, Vijay took a dig at the state government, saying if it wanted to take "revenge" against him personally, it should do so, but warned against touching his people.

The stampede incident has caused a massive outrage in the state which will go to elections next year.