KARUR: Even as TVK president Vijay on Sunday announced a solatium of Rs 20 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the Velusamypuram stampede, and Rs 2 lakh to the injured, the absence of his party’s leaders and cadre on the ground drew sharp questions about its preparedness and commitment.
“I know this is not a big amount in the face of such loss. Yet it is my duty to stand with you in spirit,” Vijay said in a statement, adding that his mind was “clouded with sorrow” and assuring that TVK would extend assistance to those undergoing treatment.
But in Karur, the party’s district office on Chinna Andal Koil Street has remained locked since Saturday night. Calls to key functionaries, including district secretary V P Mathiyalagan, went unanswered. Sources said Mathiyalagan’s wife was injured in the chaos.
Several cadre admitted that many leaders fled the venue in panic with their families, switching off phones and exiting WhatsApp groups fearing police cases.
“I asked my parents to stand under a bridge at the Velusamypuram entry point to avoid the crowd. On my way home to Pasupathipalayam, I crossed several ambulances. I reached only by 11 pm,” one functionary said.
Sources said none of the deceased was a TVK card holder, though a member from Vengamedu, S Murugan, was shifted to Madurai GH with fractured ribs and breathing difficulties.
“We are small business owners and office workers. A case will ruin our livelihood,” one functionary said, adding that many also feared backlash from victims’ families and from supporters of DMK leader V Senthil Balaji.
The absence of TVK cadre was stark when compared to the visits of DMK, AIADMK and other leaders, including CM MK Stalin. Residents also pointed to poor crowd arrangements. “When Edappadi K Palaniswami campaigned, people were allotted spaces. This time, it was like a wave of crowd without control,” said V Vetrivel, a resident of Velusamypuram.
Party insiders admitted the Karur leg of Vijay’s campaign was aimed at challenging Senthil Balaji’s stronghold, particularly after mocking the rain-hit September 17 Mupperum Vizha as “Moonu chair vizha”, a party source said.
But with no leader visiting the injured or mourning families, the tragedy has underscored the organisational vacuum in a party still finding its footing.
Bomb threat at Vijay’s house
A bomb threat email received at the office of the DGP on Sunday claimed explosives had been planted at the DGP headquarters and at actor Vijay’s residence in Panaiyur. The bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) searched both locations and declared the threats a hoax.
