Families of 30 stampede victims to meet Vijay: TVK

ONly around xxx families of victims killed in the stampede during the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) rebound on sept 27 feature in agreement(p) to meet TVK president, actor-politician Vijay, in Mamallapuram on Monday, party workers aware of the development said on Sunday.Arrangements have been made under the instructions of the TVK leadership, and administrators have been directed to ensure that all bereaved family members reach Chennai by Sunday night, they added. The programme is scheduled to be held at a resort in the coastal town.Earlier plans to organise the meeting either at Karur or neighbouring Namakkal district failed due to logistical issues, said members of the organising team.“Vijay going to Karur was the primary first choice but we don’t want any controversy over his visit to Karur. After considering many options, we have now decided to bring the families near Chennai,” a team member said.“Vijay will meet each and every family in person and assure them of all help, including assistance to the education of their children. “But, all families are not coming. About 30 families have boarded the bus from Karur,” the person quoted above said.The plan to bring the grieving families to him instead of visiting them has attracted criticism from opposition leaders.“Those who can go to the Supreme Court on the investigation into the stampede should surely have the same courage and strength to go to Karur. If there is a will, there is always a way,” said DMK spokesperson A Saravanan.This was despite the TVK’s compensation to the families of the victims. In a press statement , Vijay said, “We had already announced on September 28, 2025, an amount of ₹20 lakh had been transferred through RTGS on behalf of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on October 18, 2025, as a family welfare fund. I kindly request you to accept it as a gesture of our support and compassion.”“As mentioned during our video call last week, we are taking the necessary legal steps to obtain permission for a personal meeting. Once the approval is granted, we will definitely come to meet you,” the TVK president added in his official statement.Expressing his condolences, Vijay said, “The unbearable and painful incident in Karur has left us mourning the loss of our dear family members. In this difficult time, I want to assure you once again that we will stand with you in every possible way, offering comfort and support. With the grace of God, we will overcome this painful time together.”Vijay’s perceived approach to the tragedy’s aftermath has so far categorically failed to evade controversy.Earlier, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TKS Elangovan slammed Vijay over a perceived lack of accountability displayed after the incident.Speaking to ANI, Elangovan said that Vijay needs to take responsibility for the accident since his delay in coming to the public rally was the reason for the deaths.“He does politics from home. He is the reason for the deaths. His delay is the reason for the deaths. He doesn’t know anything. When he said that he would come there at 12pm, he should have arrived at least by 1pm. He cannot avoid saying that we had secured time from 3pm to 7pm. That is not the way to deal with it,” Elangovan had said.Vijay was also criticised for flying back to Chennai in the immediate aftermath of the accident, which killed 41 people, including children.On October 9, even as the government-mandated probe into the incident was well underway, he wrote a letter to the director general of police (DGP), Tamil Nadu, on October 9 seeking a green corridor from Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) to Karur and police protection to control his supporters at the airport and venue.(with PTI inputs)