CHENNAI: DMK leader and former Minister V Senthilbalaji said he has provided "proper answers" to all queries raised by the CBI during an interrogation in New Delhi regarding the stampede that occurred in Karur in 2025.
Forty-one people lost their lives, and several were injured in the stampede during the TVK rally that took place on September 27, 2025.
Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport on the night of March 17, upon his return from Delhi, Balaji clarified that he appeared before the central agency as a witness.
"The questions were primarily regarding the tragic incidents that took place in Karur on September 27, 2025. As someone present on the ground during that period, I have answered all their questions appropriately," Balaji said.
When pressed for details regarding the nature of the questions or the specific answers provided, he declined to elaborate, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. "It would not be appropriate to disclose the specific questions and answers shared before an investigative body in the public domain," he added.
Balaji informed that he reached the CBI office at 10.15 am on March 17, ahead of the scheduled 10.30 am appointment, and the session concluded around 5 pm.
Responding to a query on whether the summons to Delhi -- rather than an interrogation in Chennai -- was a form of political pressure, Balaji dismissed the suggestion. "I don't see it that way. They might have had certain doubts, and as a responsible person who was in the field, it was my duty to clarify them. I have fulfilled that responsibility," he said.
On the political front, Balaji expressed confidence in the DMK's prospects for the 2026 Assembly elections.