Saturday, 27 September 2025
Saturday, 27 September 2025
At least 29 people were killed and about 50 were injured at a rally held by Tamil actor and politician Vijay in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Reuters reported on Saturday.
Large crowds had gathered for the meeting, part of Vijay’s ongoing state tour for his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, the report said.
The incident occurred as Vijay’s campaign vehicle crawled through a sea of supporters. The swelling crowd became uncontrollable, leading to several people, including party workers and children, fainting and falling.
Ambulances struggled to negotiate the jam-packed thoroughfares to reach the spot, and chaotic scenes were reported from local hospitals where many were admitted — some battling for their lives.
Vijay, who was addressing the crowd, stopped his speech midway, appealed for police assistance and personally threw water bottles from atop the campaign bus to the fainting supporters. He later ended his speech earlier than scheduled. A child was reported missing.
Police resorted to baton-charge to disperse the gathering after the hospitalisation of several persons.
The rally also saw Vijay taking a veiled swipe at DMK’s former minister Senthil Balaji, saying Karur had become “all India famous” for the wrong reasons, and criticising the DMK government for failing to deliver its 2021 promise of building an airport in the district.
Videos widely shared on social media showed women performing ‘aarathi’ to welcome Vijay, and fans presenting gifts, including a bunch of bananas received by his security team.
Reactions to the rally were swift and divided online. Political analyst Sumanth C Raman said Vijay’s speech was “decidedly better today — more hard-hitting and less filmy.” Some users urged Vijay to acknowledge grassroots cadres in his speeches, while others said he should return to films.
A post by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin triggered speculation, while others compared the massive turnout to rallies by late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, calling Vijay the only leader after her to draw such crowds.
Ministers, senior officials, and police officers rushed to Karur as the number of injured and those feared dead continued to rise.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said he had advised Health Minister Ma Subramanian and the district collector to render all possible assistance and directed School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi to reach Karur.
Calling the reports from the district “worrisome,” Stalin said the government was closely monitoring the situation and ensuring medical support for the hospitalised.
(With inputs from agencies)
