Karur stampede fallout: Vijay returns to meetings behind closed doors

As the September 27 Karur stampede continues to cast a long shadow over Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), party president Vijay will address cadres on Sunday (November 23) in a closed-door meeting at the Jeppiaar Institute of Technology campus in Kanchipuram.

Also Read: What Vijay said about Stalin and DMK at TVK’s Mahabalipuram meet

The event, scheduled for 11 am on November 23, will admit only 2,000 pre-selected cadres from Kanchipuram who have been issued QR-coded entry passes. No other party functionaries, media, or general public will be allowed inside, a drastic departure from the massive open-air rallies that marked TVK’s early campaign.

Why Jeppiaar Institute?

The choice of venue is not accidental. Marie Wilson, Managing Director of Jeppiaar Group of Institutions and son-in-law of the late educationist-politician Jeppiaar (a former AIADMK strongman and close MGR aide), joined TVK in June 2025 along with several high-profile defectors.

Vijay has maintained close ties with the Jeppiaar family. He, in fact, attended a family wedding reception in July 2025. The institute previously hosted a grand “Vijay Merit Scholarship Awards Function” where scholarships worth Rs 2 crore were distributed to students. Party insiders say the fully air-conditioned, secure campus with controlled access makes it ideal for the new “small, safe, indoor-only” format TVK has adopted until large rallies are feasible again.

Karur stampede

On September 27, a stmpede at Vijay’s rally in Karur claimed 41 lives (including women and children) and injured over 80 others. Police blamed poor planning, a four-hour delay in Vijay’s arrival, an unauthorised roadshow, and overcrowding (crowd swelled to 25,000-27,000 against permitted 10,000). TVK faced severe criticism for inadequate arrangements and “abandoning” victims.

Also Read: Vijay blasts Stalin, signals he might go solo in 2026 TN Assembly election

The tragedy triggered suspension of Vijay’s statewide campaign for nearly two months. Subsequently, a CBI probe was ordered by the Supreme Court. Multiple FIRs were filed against top TVK leaders, including general secretary N Anand (“Bussy” Anand).

SOP for public gatherings

Following public interest litigations, the Madras High Court in October directed the Tamil Nadu government to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for political meetings and rallies within 10 days. The court expressed anguish over the Karur incident and sought uniform safety guidelines. Although a draft SOP was prepared and shared with political parties (including TVK and AIADMK), the final SOP is yet to be notified as of November 22.

Sources say the delay stems from ongoing consultations and objections over clauses that hold organisers financially and criminally liable for mishaps. Until the SOP is finalised, district administrations remain ultra-cautious in granting permissions for large gatherings.

Permission denied for TVK's Salem rally

Recently, Salem district administration rejected TVK’s application for a Vijay rally on December 4, citing inadequate notice period (police now insist on fresh applications at least four weeks in advance).

Also Read: TVK authorises Vijay to make key calls on alliance for 2026 TN polls

With Security commitments for Karthigai Deepam festival and Babri Masjid demolition anniversary and missing details on expected crowd size and outstation participants, police have asked TVK to reapply with full particulars, effectively pushing any Salem event to mid-December or later.

Mega rallies to closed-door meetings

Sources indicate tomorrow’s Kanchipuram meet is the first in a series of district-level closed-door sessions aimed at rebuilding cadre morale, updating membership drives, and charting strategy for the 2026 Assembly polls, all while strictly avoiding the open-ground meetings that defined the party’s launch phase.

With just five months left for the elections, TVK appears to have shifted gears from crowd-pulling mega rallies to disciplined, risk-averse grassroots mobilisation.