I trusted cops, they blamed me for stampede: Vijay in first visit to Karur as CM
Speaking in Karur, Vijay rejected allegations that his party was responsible for last year's deadly stampede, questioning whether the police had adequate crowd control measures in place on the fateful day.
Nine months after the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives and cast a long shadow over the state assembly election, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay returned to the city on Friday, defending his role in the tragedy, questioning the police response and mounting a sharp attack on the erstwhile DMK government.
Addressing a gathering on his first visit to Karur as Chief Minister, Vijay, dressed head-to-toe in black, recalled the tragedy with visible emotion, saying the loss continued to weigh heavily on him.
"The Karur stampede caused immense anguish. We have lost the children of our sisters," he said.
The stampede occurred during Vijay's election rally at Velusamypuram, where thousands of fans and supporters of his TVK party had turned out. Forty-one people were killed and more than 100 others were injured. The case is currently being investigated by the CBI.
Vijay rejected allegations that his party was responsible for the deaths, arguing that crowd management was the responsibility of the police.
"I trusted the police to control the crowd, yet I was blamed for the deaths," the actor-turned-politician said.
Questioning the security arrangements at the rally, the TVK chief said authorities could have prevented the tragedy by alerting his team about the deteriorating situation. Instead, they resorted to "drama" and shifting the blame, he charged.
Announcing a tribute to those who died in the stampede, the chief minister said a memorial would be built on behalf of his party, the TVK, in Karur.
"Karur will never leave my heart... A memorial will be built in memory of the victims," Vijay said.