"Aren't You Responsible For Death Of 41 People In Karur?" AIADMK Jabs Vijay

Hours after Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay's "corrupt force" jab at the AIADMK, the party criticised the actor-turned-politician's "narcissistic behaviour" in handling and responding to the stampede at his rally in Karur last year. 

Vijay's TVK, which has not announced any alliance partner, is making its electoral debut in the upcoming Tamil Nadu state polls.

The AIADMK criticised Vijay's decision to bring the relatives of the Karur stampede victims to Chennai and offer them condolences.

"Aren't you also responsible for the deaths of 41 people in Karur? Instead of performing any act of atonement, out of fear of possible legal cases, didn't you hide in Panaiyur for more than 72 days and keep your party office closed for 15 days? That itself is the answer to how brave a "warrior" you really are," the AIADMK said. 

"For the first time in world history, instead of going to the homes of the victims to console their families, you made them come to Panaiyur to receive consolation from you. That is a whole new level of landlord arrogance. For this, you even deserve a Doctorate. Without wiping tears in Karur, with glycerin tears, conducting a token condolence event using photographs, without an ounce of guilt, and even self-promoting yourself during that event this narcissistic behaviour is a dangerous sign in politics," the party added.

Reacting to Vijay's claim that the AIADMK was a slave to the Central government, it said, "Subservience to the Central Government has never been part of AIADMK's history. Whenever the rights and welfare of the State were threatened, it was our great movement, the AIADMK, that fought, argued, and secured Tamil Nadu's rights and people's welfare. That is history."

While claiming that for other parties, a booth is just a place to cast a vote -- and sometimes to "steal" votes -- Vijay asserted that for his party, booths are "halls of democracy." 

Vijay declared that only TVK has the guts and attitude to take on the 'evil force' that is ruling right now and the 'corrupt force' that has previously governed the state - obvious references to the ruling DMK and the AIADMK, respectively.

Reacting to this, the AIADMK said, "Corruption is the act of earning money illegally. If that is the definition, then you - actor Vijay, who allegedly earned several crores by continuously selling black-market tickets in violation of the law, are the biggest corrupt person of all." 

The 51-year-old superstar has made headlines over the past few months. In September last year, 41 people were killed in a stampede at a rally Vijay addressed in Tamil Nadu's Karur. He is now being investigated by the CBI in this connection and was questioned twice in Delhi.