Karur stampede: No conspiracy, power cut, or lathi-charge, says TN govt
Based on past events, officials anticipated a turnout of around 20,000 and accordingly deployed 500 police personnel — one officer for every 20 attendees — as against the standard ratio of one for every 50.;
Still from TVK's campaign
CHENNAI: Dismissing the allegations levelled by TVK and its leader Vijay over the Karur tragedy, the State government on Tuesday termed the claims baseless and clarified that there was no conspiracy involved.
Addressing reporters at the Secretariat, Revenue Secretary and government spokesperson P Amudha said TVK had initially sought permission to hold the rally near the Lighthouse roundtana, which was denied due to safety concerns, as the venue was flanked by a petrol bunk and the Amaravathi river bridge. The second proposed location, Uzhavar Sandhai, could accommodate only 5,000 people. Hence, the administration suggested Velusamy Puram, which had recently hosted an AIADMK event with a crowd of 10,000–15,000 people. TVK later accepted the venue and obtained official permission.
Amudha said the organisers had informed authorities that 10,000 people were expected. Based on past events, officials anticipated a turnout of around 20,000 and accordingly deployed 500 police personnel — one officer for every 20 attendees — as against the standard ratio of one for every 50.
Denying claims of a power cut during Vijay's address, she explained that the power supply was temporarily halted for safety reasons after supporters climbed trees and electric poles. "Once they were brought down with police assistance, the supply was restored. TVK's request for a planned power cut (to avoid untoward incidents) had already been rejected on September 26," she said.
She added that TVK workers themselves dismantled the barricades around the generator and switched it off, leading to temporary lighting issues.
On the crowd surge, Additional DGP (L&O) Davidson Devasirvadham said TVK's estimate of 10,000 attendees was inaccurate, as the turnout crossed 25,000–30,000. When people fainted due to overcrowding, the personnel immediately alerted ambulances through wireless, and rescue operations continued from 7.17 pm to 9.45 pm.
Health Secretary Senthil Kumar said autopsies were conducted swiftly by government doctors across hospitals to ensure the timely handover of bodies to grieving families.
Officials further clarified that similar incidents of injuries due to overcrowding had occurred in Vijay's previous outreach events, reiterating that no lathi-charge or foul play took place in Karur.