Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Friday handed over compassionate appointment orders to family members of those killed in the Karur stampede, calling the tragedy an "unhealed wound" that continues to weigh heavily on his heart. During his first visit to Karur since the incident, Vijay also blamed the police and his political rivals for the tragedy, alleging that they failed to prevent the stampede and later shifted the blame onto him.
The stampede occurred on September 27 last year, on the eve of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, during a TVK election campaign rally in Karur, leaving 41 people dead. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident is currently underway.
Following the tragedy, the Tamil Nadu government announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to each bereaved family, while TVK provided an additional Rs 20 lakh as compensation.
As part of the government's rehabilitation measures, Vijay visited Karur and distributed compassionate appointment orders to one eligible member each from 32 affected families at a function held at the Atlas Arena. The jobs were allotted based on the beneficiaries' educational qualifications.
#CMVijay about Karur Stampede:
— Laxmi Kanth (@iammoviebuff007) July 10, 2026
"The Karur police Could've alerted us, right..? They have all the rights to cancel the meeting without informing us.. But they didn't do anything and they escorted us from highway to spot.. I trusted that drama.. I even thanked them during the…
The event coincided with proceedings before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, where a petition challenging the government's decision to provide permanent government jobs to victims' families came up for hearing. The court directed that, for the time being, the beneficiaries could be given temporary appointments.
Addressing the gathering, an emotional Vijay said the Karur tragedy had left a permanent scar on him.
"My heartfelt greetings to all my brothers and sisters of Karur who live in my heart. No matter how high a person rises in life, the wounds and pain in the heart can never be forgotten. I stand before you today after overcoming many hardships and emotional scars," he said.
"The Karur tragedy caused me immense mental anguish. I lost my brothers, my sisters and my innocent children in Karur. The incident remains an unhealed wound in my heart. They pinned the blame on me for the Karur incident, but I entered politics for the sake of the people, and I am determined to bring a permanent end to such tragedies," the Chief Minister added.
In his first public remarks in Karur after the tragedy, Vijay directly blamed the police for failing to stop the event despite having the authority to do so.
"They had every right to cancel the meeting. But they did not cancel; they guided me in," he said.
Questioning the police arrangements, Vijay added, "When I entered Karur, they could have stopped me, no? I trusted the police to control the crowd, yet I was blamed for the deaths."
He further alleged that the police and his political opponents had "conspired" to trigger the stampede.
"Did the police deploy enough people? They put the blame on me shamelessly, and MK Stalin did politics in the Assembly," he said, reiterating TVK's claim that the tragedy was engineered to derail the party's election campaign.
Launching a political attack on the DMK, Vijay accused the party of mocking him in the aftermath of the tragedy.
"You mocked me... when I was feeling crushed and in pain at home, you said I was 'hiding'," he said.
Announcing a tribute to those who lost their lives, Vijay said TVK would build a memorial in Karur in memory of the 41 victims.
"As if you are still in power, you are saying I should not go to Karur. Are you still dreaming? Your party went home, and TVK is in power," he said.
His remarks referred to the DMK's earlier plea before the Supreme Court seeking directions to prevent Vijay from influencing witnesses in the stampede case during his Karur visit. The party later withdrew the petition after the Supreme Court rebuked it for attempting to turn the court into a "political forum."
The Chief Minister also reiterated his government's commitment to fulfilling its election promises, including implementing the promised scheme to present a gold ring on behalf of the maternal uncle to newborns on the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai (Arignar Anna).
Speaking on the upcoming Karur Assembly by-election, Vijay urged voters to deliver "a strong rebuttal" to the DMK, before concluding the programme by handing over appointment letters aimed at providing long-term financial security to families devastated by one of Tamil Nadu's worst public tragedies in recent years.
