DMK slams CM Vijay for spreading false propaganda in Karur

CHENNAI: Senior DMK leader T K S Elangovan on Friday (July 10) launched a scathing attack on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, accusing him of spreading false propaganda in Karur and treating the public like "fools".

CM Vijay visited Karur for the first time on Friday (July 10) after the tragic stampede incident that claimed 41 lives while he was campaigning there on September 27, 2025.

Addressing a press conference, Elangovan blamed Vijay’s delayed arrival for the tragic situation where several people fainted due to extreme heat, lack of food, and water.

Elangovan stated that Vijay was scheduled to speak at noon but failed to arrive until 7.30 pm, forcing people to wait for hours under the scorching sun. He dismissed Vijay’s explanation of being held up by crowds along the way as a "big lie".

"Any person with basic knowledge understands that if people are left without food and water in intense heat, they will faint. Out of the 100 people admitted to the Karur hospital, the then DMK government mobilised doctors from other medical facilities and successfully saved 60 lives. Unfortunately, 41 people could not be saved as their bodies could not withstand the extreme heat and exhaustion. This was a natural consequence of the situation," Elangovan said.

The DMK leader also criticised Vijay’s followers, alleging that the crowd was only interested in catching a glimpse of the leader. He claimed that instead of helping or offering water to those who fainted, some fans even stepped over them.

He added that adequate police protection cannot mean assigning a cop to every single individual in a massive gathering, noting that the incident was an environmental casualty, not a riot.

Responding to corruption charges leveled by CM Vijay against the DMK administration, Elangovan pointed out internal rifts within TVK.

He highlighted that a lawyer from Vijay’s party had filed a lawsuit alleging that a senior leader and general secretary took bribes ranging from Rs lakh to Rs 20 lakh for appointing party lawyers. "We didn't make these allegations; a lawyer from their own party went to court. If you ask Vijay about this, he might have an answer," Elangovan remarked.

When asked about Vijay distributing appointment orders to 32 affected families, the DMK leader termed it an eyewash aimed at the upcoming Karur by-election.

He stated that the courts have previously ruled against providing government employment for such accidents. He argued that while helping a family that has lost its sole breadwinner is understandable, this move was purely an attempt to appease voters so they wouldn't direct their anger at Vijay’s party during the upcoming bypolls.

Elangovan vehemently rejected the assertion that the DMK and AIADMK are operating as "secret allies".

He emphasised that the DMK and AIADMK have been arch-rivals in Tamil Nadu for over 54 years, dating back to 1972.

In his maiden visit to Karur after becoming CM, Vijay trained his guns against the DMK for attempting to gain "political mileage" from the stampede incident. He also slammed the Dravidian party for restraining him from visiting this western town.