TVK chief Vijay announces Rs 20 lakh compensation for families of Karur stampede victims
Actor-politician Vijay announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the families of each of the 39 people killed in a stampede at his rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur. The TVK chief said his party will also give Rs 2 lakh each to the nearly 100 injured in the tragedy.
In a social media post through his party’s official handle on X, the 51-year-old actor-politician said he is overwhelmed by grief. “I am at a loss for words to express the pain my heart endures. My eyes and mind are clouded with sorrow. The faces of all of you whom I have met keep flashing through my mind. The more I think of my loved ones who show affection and care, the more my heart slips further from its place,” he said.
“While I express my deepest condolences with indescribable pain to you who are grieving the loss of our cherished loved ones, I also stand close to your hearts, sharing this immense sorrow. This is indeed an irreparable loss for us. No matter who offers words of comfort, the loss of our loved ones is unbearable. Yet, as a member of your family, I intend to provide 20 lakh rupees to each family that has lost a loved one and 2 lakh rupees to those who are injured and receiving treatment,” said the TVK chief, who is prepping for a poll debut in the Assembly polls next year.
“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. Likewise, I pray to God that all our loved ones who are injured and undergoing treatment recover swiftly and return home. I also assure you that our Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam will steadfastly provide all necessary support to our loved ones under treatment. By the grace of God, let us strive to recover from all this,” he said.
While this is Vijay’s second condolence message since the tragedy, he has refrained from commenting on the alleged violations of safety norms at his rallies – impromptu roadshows and flouting of police conditions – which have come under severe scrutiny after the Karur incident.
Earlier, the MK Stalin-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the dead and Rs 1 lakh for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each victim of the tragedy. The injured would be given Rs 50,000, the Prime Minister’s Office has said.