Posters Target Vijay Ahead of Erode Rally Over Karur Absence After Deadly Stampede

Posters criticising Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay surfaced across Erode on Thursday, questioning his failure to visit Karur following a deadly stampede, just ahead of the party’s first major public rally in Tamil Nadu after the tragedy.

The posters appeared days before Vijay’s scheduled address at the Moongilpalayam Meeting Ground in Erode and directly targeted his absence from Karur, where a stampede during a TVK public meeting claimed 41 lives and left over 110 people injured in September.

Messages on the posters read, “Vijay has not gone to nearby Karur but will go to Malaysia for Jana Nayagan audio launch?” and “You have come till Erode, won’t you visit Karur?” The remarks followed the announcement that the audio launch of Vijay’s upcoming film Jana Nayagan will be held in Malaysia on December 27.

Another line on the posters read, “What bro, it’s very wrong bro,” a phrase previously used by Vijay while criticising the BJP and DMK for what he described as “kindergarten politics” and political posturing on sensitive issues such as language policy.

The criticism stems from the aftermath of the Karur stampede on September 27, which occurred during a TVK public meeting attended by Vijay. While the actor-politician eventually met the victims’ families, the meeting took place nearly a month after the incident, prompting accusations of delay and insensitivity from sections of the public.

The Supreme Court has since ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the stampede to determine accountability. A three-member monitoring committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi was also constituted to oversee the investigation, following a petition filed by TVK seeking an impartial probe.

The Erode rally is politically significant for TVK as it marks Vijay’s return to the public stage in Tamil Nadu after the tragedy. The event also comes in the wake of senior leader KA Sengottaiyan joining the party. A former AIADMK minister, Sengottaiyan was appointed Chief Coordinator of TVK’s high-level executive committee and Organising Secretary for western Tamil Nadu districts, including Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur and the Nilgiris.

With tensions rising and scrutiny intensifying, Vijay’s address at the Erode rally is expected to be closely watched for how he responds to the criticism surrounding Karur and outlines TVK’s political direction going forward.