After Setback, DMK Approaches Top Court Panel, CBI Ahead Of Vijay's Karur Visit

Hours after suffering a setback in the Supreme Court over its attempt to seek restrictions on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's proposed visit to Karur, the opposition DMK on Tuesday approached both the Supreme Court-appointed Supervisory Committee and the CBI with fresh representations seeking safeguards ahead of the Chief Minister's visit on Friday.

The move came just hours after the Supreme Court questioned the party's plea seeking curbs on Vijay's speeches and public engagements in connection with the September 2025 Karur stampede case, prompting the DMK to withdraw its petition.

In separate representations to the Supervisory Committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi and the CBI, DMK Organising Secretary R S Bharathi sought action against PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna over his July 2 speech, alleging it was capable of influencing witnesses and interfering with the ongoing CBI investigation.

The DMK also sought safeguards for Vijay's proposed Karur visit, where he is expected to meet the families of the 41 people killed in the stampede, announce welfare measures and is widely expected to offer compassionate government jobs to some members of the bereaved families.

The party requested that any distribution of monetary assistance, compassionate appointments or other government benefits be undertaken only with safeguards considered necessary after obtaining the CBI's views. It also sought preservation of the statements of material witnesses before any interaction with the Chief Minister.

In its separate representation to the CBI, the DMK additionally urged the agency to monitor Vijay's Karur visit, approach the Supervisory Committee if further safeguards are considered necessary, and examine whether Aadhav Arjuna's speech warrants further legal action.

The fresh representations came amid a sharp political exchange between the ruling TVK and the opposition DMK.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Law Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar accused the DMK of trying to block the Chief Minister's Karur visit. "The DMK is doing everything possible to stop Chief Minister Vijay's visit to Karur even now," he alleged, after the Supreme Court proceedings.

The ruling TVK has maintained that Vijay's visit is meant to console the bereaved families and announce welfare measures. The DMK, on the other hand, has argued that any political statements or distribution of government benefits could influence material witnesses in the ongoing CBI probe.

The CBI continues to investigate the stampede that claimed 41 lives, including children, at a TVK rally addressed by Vijay in September last year. The agency has already questioned Vijay twice in Delhi as part of its investigation.