KARUR: Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and L Murugan on Monday visited the Karur Government Medical College Hospital to meet the injured and the families of those who died in the stampede at the TVK rally on Saturday evening.
Later, Minister Sitharaman addressed reporters at the collectorate and clarified that her visit was not to oversee the state government but to convey the condolences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“I didn’t come here to monitor the state government. The PM instructed me to visit Karur and convey his condolences, and assure the victims of direct financial assistance,” Sitharaman told reporters.
At least 41 people, many of them women and children from poor families, died in the stampede, she said. Most victims were daily wage earners, which made the tragedy particularly painful. “It was heart-wrenching to hear that the deceased were often the sole breadwinners of their families,” she added.
The finance minister stressed that the centre’s priority was to ensure relief reached the victims. The PM has announced Rs 2 lakh each compensation for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.
Sitharaman also noted the accounts of survivors and victims’ families. Many reportedly complained of inadequate arrangements and unanticipated crowd size.
“People told us that they hadn’t expected such a huge turnout. We will report these concerns to the PM and the union home minister. Such tragedies should never recur in our country,” she said.
She further emphasised the visit was humanitarian and not political, and also said she doesn’t want to comment on anything related to the particulars regarding the incident. “It is natural that there will be grief, anger and questions after such an incident. Our duty is to listen, console and act responsibly,” Sitharaman said.
