- Senior TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna posted on X calling for Gen Z to protest against the DMK government
- The post was swiftly deleted; TVK sources said it would never instigate violence
- The DMK responded via Kanimozhi, who said the post, which follows the Karur stampede, was irresponsible
A now-deleted X post by Aadhav Arjuna, a senior leader in actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, has kicked up a row for urging Tamil Nadu's 'Gen Z' to do as young Nepalis did this month, and revolt against a "wicked government", i.e., the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
In particular, the timing of the post - less than 48 hours after a stampede at a rally headlined by Vijay in Karur killed 41 people - has raised eyebrows. The DMK has responded only briefly so far; Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi called the post "irresponsible" and warned it would instigate violence.
The TVK, grappling with the humane, legal, and political fallout of the stampede - including police claims that Vijay's 'deliberate display of political power' was responsible - has acknowledged the error. Sources said the post had been immediately deleted, and that the party had nothing to do with it or the 'revolution' apparently advocated by Arjuna.
'The party and Vijay will never instigate people or violence', TVK sources told NDTV.
In the Tamil post, a screenshot of which is circulating online, Aadhava Arjuna, the TVK's General Secretary, had declared, "A youth-led revolution is the only solution. 'Gen Z' revolted in Sri Lanka, Nepal against the ruling government. Here also the youth will lead a revolution."
"That revolution is going to be the reason for a change in government. Under a wicked ruler even the laws turn wicked," he said, also accusing the Tamil Nadu police of assaulting people "for just walking on the road" and arresting them "for expressing opinions on social media".
A screenshot of the deleted X post by TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna.
Arjuna, incidentally, also moved the Madras High Court asking for directions to the state government to not stop Vijay from visiting the families of those who were killed in Karur.
He has also demanded the inquiry into the stampede - for now led by the state police force - be handed over to a federal agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, to ensure a fair probe.
The TVK and DMK have traded barbs and accusations over the Karur stampede.
READ | Vijay's Conspiracy Charge At DMK Amid Stampede Row, And A CBI Demand
Vijay's TVK has claimed a 'conspiracy' by the ruling party, pointing to supposed power outages (allegedly to unsettle the large crowd) and alleged mishandling of the crowd by the cops.
The DMK refuted the conspiracy charge and accused the TVK of not following safety measures.
In a recorded video statement on Monday, Chief Minister MK Stalin said his administration would not fail to act on the recommendations of a one-person inquiry committee.
READ | MK Stalin Assures Action After Stampede, TVK Seeks CBI Probe
He also appealed for calm, asking political parties and the public to refrain from spreading rumours on WhatsApp; the reference was to claims about delayed autopsies and medical procedures.
The police, meanwhile, have said unscheduled stops by Vijay's campaign bus - which went on an impromptu road show despite lacking permission - were to blame for the stampede.
READ | "Crowd Gathered At 11 am, Vijay Came At 7 pm": Stampede FIR
Coming as it does before the 2026 Tamil Nadu election, the Karur tragedy has also become a political lifeline for the Bharatiya Janata Party, which struggles for traction in the southern state. The BJP will send an eight-MP delegation to carry out its own 'investigation' and drum up support before the poll.
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