Chennai: Even as the toll in the horrendous stampede at last night's rally of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President Vijay rose to 40 with the death of one more person (10 children, 17 women, 13 men) a blame game has erupted between the ruling DMK and the principal opposition AIADMK, even as the TVK knocked at the doors of the judiciary, seeking Madras High Court to take a suo motu case and order a probe either by the CBI or a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) were engaged in a war of words on apportioning the responsibility for the loss of so many lives.
EPS blamed the state government and police for the glaring lapses in ensuring security and earmarking a narrow stretch for opposition rallies and scaling down police deployment.
“There is clear evidence of a security lapse and media reports say there was confusion leading to the stampede following disruption of electricity supply", he said.
The police should have assessed the turnout and reviewed security arrangements. People come for political rallies trusting the respective party, police and the government in ensuring their safety. But the police are following two different yardsticks – one for the ruling party and the other for the opposition. Such a tragedy has not occurred anywhere and the loss of precious lives could have been avoided,” Mr Palaniswami told newspersons after visiting the patients and consoling the families of the victims at Karur Government Medical College Hospital.
He also advised the TVK to learn from major parties in holding rallies in an orderly manner.
Sharply reacting to it, Mr Subramanian charged EPS with the culture of instigating people attending his rallies against ambulances coming enroute leading to the present tragedy.
“It was EPS who first started this dangerous trend. He had said that if ambulances without patients crossed the rallies, the driver would be sent as a patient. He should also accept responsibility for supporting the unruly and infantile behaviour of the TVK,” he alleged.
Blaming the TVK as well for this incident, he said “When conditions for crowd regulation are imposed, the TVK approaches the Court. This tragedy is the result of the TVK not adhering to the conditions imposed by the police,” he charged.
Meanwhile, Vijay, expressing profound and immense grief, cancelled the coming Saturday’s campaign.
“I am at a loss for words to express the pain my heart endures. My eyes and mind are clouded with sorrow… This is indeed an irreparable loss for us… Yet, as a member of your family, I intend to provide 20 lakh rupees to each family that has lost a loved one and Rs 2 lakh each to those who are injured and receiving treatment. This amount is, of course, not significant in the face of such a loss. Still, at this moment, it is my duty as one who belongs to your family to stand by you, my dear ones, with a heavy heart,” he wrote on ‘X’, adding “let us strive to recover from all this.”
With the TVK facing flak for the tragedy and the police registering a case against the party general secretary Bussy N Anand, Legal Wing leader CTR Nirmal Kumar, Karur West District
Secretary Mathialgan and another TVK functionary, a team of party advocates accompanied by TR Nirmal Kumar, approached Justice M Dhandapani at his residence pleading for the High Court to take a suo motu case and seeking either a probe by the CBI or an SIT. Later, Nirmal Kumar told the media that it will be taken up by the Madurai Bench on Monday afternoon.
Significantly, another Judge N Senthil Kumar had admitted a plea by an injured person in the stampede in the evening, who demanded a ban on Vijay's rally and stringent action against all those responsible for the tragedy.
Apart from Palaniswami, leaders cutting party lines, including the allies of the ruling DMK like CPI(M) General Secretary K Balakrishnan, besides those from BJP, PMK President Dr Anbumani, DMDK General Secretary Ms Premalatha Vijayakanth, ousted AIADMK Leader V K Sasikala visited Karur consoled the family members of the deceased and met the injured at the hospital and enquired about their health condition.
All the leaders, while demanding a detailed probe into it, urged the State government to provide enhanced compensation and take all steps to prevent such incidents in future.
Meanwhile, all shops in Karur downed their shutters on Sunday as a mark of respect to those killed in the tragedy.
