A delegation of eight members from the ruling NDA is set to visit Karur in Tamil Nadu, led by Mathura MP Hema Malini, to assess the situation and investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly stampede at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally. The incident, which occurred during a protest led by politician-actor Vijay on Saturday evening, resulted in the deaths of at least 41 individuals and left over 60 injured. Appointed by BJP chief JP Nadda, the delegation includes Anurag Thakur, Tejasvi Surya, Braj Lal, Aprajita Sarangi, Rekha Sharma, Shrikant Shinde from Shiv Sena, and Putta Mahesh Kumar from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
After examining the conditions on-site and meeting with affected families, the group is expected to compile a comprehensive report. On Monday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accompanied by Union Minister L Murugan and Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran, met with the families of the deceased. “I cannot express the extent of their grief. I am heartbroken and find it difficult to comfort those in mourning,” Sitharaman stated to reporters. Hema Malini visited families at the Medical College Hospital in Karur, stating, “What occurred in Karur is a tragic and unprecedented event that should never happen again.
The images from my hospital visit remain vivid in my mind, and I am still deeply saddened,” as conveyed by Stalin in a video message shared on X. In relation to the stampede victims, TVK district secretary Mathiazhagan has been arrested near the Karur-Dindigul border, facing charges under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 125 (endangering life), and 223 (disobedience to order) of the Bharatiya Penal Code.
