During the rally of actor Thalpati Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu, the death toll in the stampede on Saturday has increased to 40. More than 60 people are still hospitalized, out of which the condition of at least two is said to be critical. It has been considered one of the largest political tragedies in the state in recent years.
Meanwhile, a new controversy has arisen over power cuts. The victims and Vijay’s party Tamilga Vatri Kazhagam (TVK) alleges that between 7 to 7:30 pm on Saturday evening, there was a power for about half an hour when Vijay arrived, causing chaos and a stampede situation.
Government rejected power cuts claim
Now the state government has rejected these claims. Tamil Nadu’s fact-check team, quoting Karur Collector and ADGP, wrote on the social media platform X, ‘There was no power cut in the program. Although TVK had requested to stop power supply, it was not done. The lights that were slow for a while, it was the problem of generators installed by the party.
Vijay’s party demands CBI inquiry
The government says that electricity was stopped for a short time to remove the crowd from dangerous places, but there was no cut after Vijay’s arrival. Political allegations and counter-allegations have also intensified after the accident. TVK has demanded a CBI inquiry and described it as a conspiracy.
At the same time, BJP has accused the DMK government of serious negligence. Meanwhile, a case has been registered against Vijay’s close associates and the party has filed a petition for an independent investigation in the Madras High Court. The Tamil Nadu government has set up a judicial commission to investigate the incident, which has started talking to the victim families and also visited the hospital.
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