KALLAKURICHI: In an unprecedented turn of events, the VCK’s Tamil Nationalist Awakening Conference at Ulundurpet on Monday descended into chaos when an uncontrolled crowd surged onto the stage, leaving party chief Thol Thirumavalavan gasping for breath.
The conference was held to mark Thirumavalavan’s 65th birthday. It had drawn nearly six lakh party cadres. However, poor crowd management and inadequate security arrangements turned the event chaotic.
According to a VCK district secretary, Thirumavalavan was scheduled to deliver a lengthy address. Senior party leaders said it was an unprecedented event and that the security was not prepared for such a huge turnout.
Minister Vanni Arasu told TNIE, “We planned for a five lakh footfall but nearly 10 lakh people had come. We are happy that Gen Z crowd turned out in large numbers. It’s probably their first time here so we will slowly politicise them.”
He further stated that as the crowd turned unruly and beyond control, Thirumavalavan quickly ended the conference to prevent any mishaps. “It was disheartening that our leader did not speak at the grand conference arranged in his honour. But our leader prioritised the safety of people gathered,” he added.
Even before the party chief arrived, cadres had gathered close to the stage, with some climbing digital display screens and cut-outs. When Thirumavalavan took a 200 meters walk on the ramp with the torch, a huge crowd gathered near the ramp.
As soon as he returned towards the stage, the crowd climbed over the ramp, following him. He was eventually surrounded by the crowd and struggled to speak. He had planned to address the gathering for about an hour, but was forced to conclude his speech within minutes.
