KARUR: P Lalli (32), the aunt of two-year-old Dhruv Vishnu, the youngest among the 41 killed in the Karur stampede, said Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay spoke to her over a video call on Tuesday evening. “The first thing I asked him was why he didn’t come immediately to see us,” she told TNIE.
Vijay explained why he could not visit yet and promised to come soon after securing permission from authorities, she said. “He asked why I brought the children despite his advice. I told him our house in Vadivel Nagar, Velusamypuram, is just a short walk from the venue. I’ve been a fan of him since childhood,” Lalli added.
The families who spoke to the actor-politician over video call on Monday and Tuesday expressed mixed feelings, some welcomed Vijay’s outreach, while others said they wished he had come in person sooner.
In Emur Pudhur, K Sakthivel, who lost his wife Priyadarshini (35) and daughter Dharanika (14), said Vijay consoled him during the call. “My request was that hereafter he and the police make better arrangements so such a tragedy never repeats,” he said.
Similarly, P Selvaraj, a relative of Chandra (40) from Emur Pudhur, told TNIE, “He said he would stand by our family like a brother.” During the five-minute call, Vijay reportedly expressed deep sorrow, saying, “What has happened should never have happened. It is an irreplaceable loss.”
Party sources said the calls took place on both Monday and Tuesday, with TVK propaganda and policy general secretary K G Arunraj, a former IRS officer, leading the Chennai team that visited families in Gandhigramam, Emur Pudhur, Pasupathipalayam, Velusamypuram and nearby areas in Karur. However when TNIE reached out to Arunraj he was not available for comments on Tuesday.
Families were requested not to record or photograph the conversations and TVK has not released any official photographs from their side till Tuesday. According to sources, the party had collected bank details from the family members.
Irreplaceable loss, says Vijay
P Selvaraj, a relative of Chandra (40) from Emur Pudhur, told TNIE, “He said he would stand by our family like a brother.” During the call, Vijay reportedly expressed deep sorrow, saying, “What has happened should never have happened. It is an irreplaceable loss.”