Karur stampede an ‘unhealable’ wound: Vijay on 1st anniversary

Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday said that the Karur stampede left an “unhealable wound” in his life, while paying tributes on the first anniversary of the incident in which 41 people lost their lives during a rally of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

“On this very day, last year, September 27, 2025, an agonising event occurred. One that left an unhealable wound and unending pain in my life, in the lives of our Karur kin and in the hearts of our Tamil Nadu people,” Vijay, who is also the TVK chief, said.

“We, our Karur kith and kin and the members of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam stand bearing unspoken grief. For those of us enduring the loss of the loved ones we held in our hearts, let us be our own comfort, support, and shield,” Vijay said in a party statement.

“Our heartfelt tributes to all our loved ones who live on in our memories,” he said.

A first anniversary vigil was also conducted on Sunday at the site where the incident occurred in Karur. It was led by MR Vijayabhaskar, former MLA in the AIADMK who later joined TVK in July.

After leading a candle light vigil with some of the family members of the victims, Vijayabhaskar said, “Last year, when TVK leader and our chief minister came to Karur for campaigning, 41 innocent lives — including women, children, and men — were lost.”

“On the occasion of that remembrance day today in Karur district, Karur district secretaries Madhiyazhaghan and Balasubramani, MLA Sathya, and all party executives paid their respects at this memorial homage event that just took place,” he said.

“That event, which stands as a black day and a day of mourning in the history of TVK, remains deeply etched in the hearts of the people of Tamil Nadu. We express our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in that stampede,” he added.

The stampede took place on September 27, 2025 during a political rally scheduled by the TVK. A total of 41 people were killed in the rally while more than 60 sustained injuries.

On July 10, Vijay visited Karur for the first time after emerging victorious in the assembly polls and took part in a series of programmes including distribution of jobs to legal heirs of victims who lost their lives in the incident.

Vijay, after meeting the Karur victims, announced that a memorial would be built in the city in memory of those who died.

The Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the incident and appointed a committee to oversee the probe.