Why Actor Vijay’s Move To Not Stay Back In Karur After Rally Stampede Was Tone-Deaf | News18 Analysis

Last Updated:September 28, 2025, 15:00 IST

Karur rally stampede: Vijay chose not to meet victims’ families or check on the injured in hospital. He flew back to Chennai in his private jet without speaking a word on tragedy

Vijay has announced a Rs 20 lakh aid for families of those who lost their lives. (PTI)

Politics is about perception, especially in a tragedy. Six months before the elections in Tamil Nadu, the state’s actor, rising political star and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder, Vijay, now suddenly faces a battle of political relevance in the Dravidian state.

At least 40 people, his supporters, died in a stampede in Karur on Saturday. But Vijay chose not to meet the victims’ families or check on the injured in hospital. He did not even stay put in nearby Trichy. Instead, he flew back to Chennai in his private jet without speaking a word on the tragedy.

This came at a time when both Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Chief Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami (EPS) left for Karur in the wee hours of Sunday. Deputy CM Udayanidhi Stalin, rushed back from abroad, was at the hospital in Karur on Sunday morning. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and former CMs like O Paneerselvam also reached Karur.

But the man conspicuous by his absence in Karur is Vijay. It shows political immaturity to not be among the families of his own supporters who lost lives in the stampede. None of the senior functionaries of Vijay’s party have been spotted at the Karur hospital too.

Vijay has announced a Rs 20 lakh aid for families of those who lost their lives, but it seems a case of ‘too little too late’ with the leader choosing to stay put in Chennai. His supporters may say that Vijay’s presence in Karur hospital could have caused more commotion, but when it comes to perception in politics, Vijay’s action looks like a political suicide.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), AIADMK and BJP’s presence on the ground through their top leaders could alter the political equations in the state and blunt the Vijay factor, although six months is a long time in politics and many a time, public memory is short.

However, Vijay, who took pride in drone shots of massive crowds at his rallies, has certainly suffered a jolt with his next rallies now under a cloud of uncertainty.

About the Author

Aman Sharma

Aman Sharma, Executive Editor – National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister’s Office….Read More

Aman Sharma, Executive Editor – National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister’s Office…. Read More

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