AIADMK leader Udhayakumar slams CM Vijay over jobs to Karur stampede victims' kin

MADURAI: Senior AIADMK leader RB Udhayakumar has strongly criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for providing government jobs to the kin of the 41 people killed in the 2025 Karur stampede during a TVK rally, calling it a "betrayal."

The move strikes at the livelihood of lakhs of young people from ordinary families who wait for years to secure government jobs, he said.

"Government job appointments have been directly provided to the heirs of those who lost their lives in the stampede, in a manner that betrays and strikes at the livelihood of lakhs of youth from the younger generation who are waiting for days, months, and years to write competitive exams and secure their government job opportunities," Udhayakumar told reporters here.

The former minister pointed out that temporary government jobs were given to the heirs of the deceased, bypassing standard statutory procedures. He emphasised that all government recruitments in Tamil Nadu must be conducted strictly through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC).

He noted that candidates study day and night for Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) group exams, including for the post of Village Administrative Officer (VAO), to support their families.

"Offering government jobs as compensation by flouting rules for political reasons is a wrong approach," Udhayakumar stated, adding that this sets a shocking and wrong precedent for the state's youth.

The former minister also warned that the chief minister's decision will trigger similar demands from all directions of the state.

Udhayakumar suggested that Vijay should have provided financial assistance using his party's resources rather than state employment.

"If Vijay had given Rs 1 crore, Rs 5 crore, or even Rs 10 crore from the TVK party fund to the families of those who died, no one would have had any regrets, and we would have even read a citation of appreciation for him," he said.

Further, he levelled allegations against the chief minister's administrative approach.

He accused Vijay of bypassing IAS officers and relying instead on his "power centres," and claimed there were reports that certain individuals close to the CM call the shots in this connection.