Karur Stampede: What Went Wrong at Superstar Vijay’s Political Rally

What was meant to be a grand display of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s growing popularity ended in disaster on Saturday, when a stampede at his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur claimed at least 39 lives and injured nearly 100 people.

Tamil Nadu ’s top cop G Venkataraman said the deadly surge was fueled by a seven-hour delay in Vijay’s arrival, which pushed restless crowds to the brink. “Earlier rallies of TVK had smaller crowds, but this time the turnout was far higher than expected,” he said at a late-night press conference.




According to him, organisers had sought permission for a gathering between 3 pm and 10 pm, with an expected strength of 10,000. Instead, more than 27,000 supporters showed up, overwhelming the 500 police personnel deployed for security. The situation worsened after TVK’s official X handle announced that Vijay would reach by noon. “The permission was sought between 3 pm-10 pm. The TVK Twitter account said he would come at 12, and the crowd started coming in from 11 AM. He came at 7.40 PM. The people lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun,” Mr Venkataraman explained, adding it was still “too early to say what exactly triggered the stampede.”

Videos from the venue showed Vijay standing atop a campaign vehicle, surrounded by thousands. As fans collapsed in the chaos, the 51-year-old actor-politician was seen throwing water bottles into the crowd and calling for police help.

Vijay later broke his silence with a deeply emotional message on X. “My heart is broken; I am in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow,” he wrote. “I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of my dear brothers and sisters who lost their lives in Karur. I pray for the swift recovery of those receiving treatment in the hospital.”




The tragedy has once again put TVK’s rally management under scrutiny. Despite restrictions, Vijay’s road to venues has often turned into impromptu roadshows, drawing massive processions that courts had already flagged as dangerous. Warnings had placed responsibility on both the police and the actor-turned-politician, who is rapidly emerging as a new force ahead of Tamil Nadu’s 2026 elections.

Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced a judicial commission led by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan to probe the incident. The inquiry will examine whether police underestimated the rally’s scale or if Vijay’s delayed arrival was a political strategy that tragically backfired.

For Vijay, who launched TVK in 2024 and has since drawn record-breaking crowds, the Karur rally was supposed to be another moment of strength. Instead, it has become a grim reminder of how quickly political theatre can descend into chaos and how the price of miscalculation can be devastating.