KARUR: In his first visit to Karur after the Sept 2025 stampede, chief minister C Joseph Vijay sharpened his attack on the previous DMK regime for the tragedy, calling it a ‘conspiracy.’ Questioning the police for escorting him into the crowd at Velusamypuram rally venue instead of warning him not to visit, Vijay said he went there ‘unaware of the drama.’ He accused former chief minister M K Stalin of diverting the blame on him in the assembly instead of finding out what went wrong.Vijay said the days after Karur tragedy were the most painful period in his life for which people have defeated DMK in the assembly election. “But you should deal a bigger blow to them in the by elections,” he said. He also announced that a memorial would be built for Karur victims.Addressing a public meeting at Atlas grounds, about 15 kms from Velusamypuram where 41 people were killed on Sept 27, 2025 during his rally, Vijay said he would have cancelled his visit to Velusamypuram if the police had asked him to do so. “After the Ariyalur meeting on (Sept 13, 2025), police alerted us not to come to Perambalur and we cancelled the event. But why didn’t the Karur police warn us about the crowd,” he asked.Police could have cancelled the rally if they had sensed something was amiss, but they did not despite the huge turnout, he said. “Instead, the police themselves escorted me from the highway to the venue. Unaware of the drama, I trusted them and went there,’’ Vijay said. “I even thanked the police without knowing the conspiracy,’’ Vijay said. Vijay alleged that someone was issuing instructions to the police. “Who orchestrated it? Who was issuing orders and who was pressurising?” he asked.Vijay announced that a memorial would be established in Karur to honour the victims, as a reminder of the ‘conspiracy.’Vijay said while he was grieving the loss of 41 lives, DMK mocked that he fled the scene and was hiding. “Stalin sir blamed me in the assembly for political mileage,” Vijay said. While people gave a befitting reply to DMK in 2026 assembly election, for mocking him, Vijay said people should deal another blow to DMK in the upcoming by elections.He said even after losing power, DMK wanted to dictate terms and filed a plea in the court to prevent him from visiting Karur. Vijay also taunted former ministers V Senthil Balaji and E V Velu saying they were ‘on the run’ because of the charges against them. “As we dig deeper, more corruption will be exposed in other departments as well, ” he said.Vijay said that the moment he mentioned “party funds” in the assembly, the opposition were up in arms and walked out. He claimed that TVK govt has rooted out corruption in all govt departments and added that people would soon see the `viswaroop’ of TVK govt.On the Mekedatu issue too, Vijay blamed DMK, alleging that the previous govt failed to argue properly the case against the project. “Why wasn’t the case argued properly? If you had argued it effectively, the court wouldn’t have rejected TN’s plea, right?’’ he said adding that empty bravado in the issue would not help TN. “We talk less and work more,” he said. Vijay also dismissed allegations of horse trading and “washing machine politics” levelled by the DMK and AIADMK, saying both Dravidian parties were the real “vending machines” of such trade. He alleged that the two were hand in glove with each other.
