TVK Leader Charged For Controversial 'Gen Z' Post After Stampede

A senior leader of actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has been charged over a social media post calling for Tamil Nadu's "Gen Z" youth to emulate recent protests in Nepal and rise against what he termed a "wicked government".

The comments by Aadhav Arjuna, General Secretary of the TVK, were posted on X (formerly Twitter) less than 48 hours after a stampede at a Vijay rally in Karur left 41 people dead. The timing of the remarks has drawn sharp criticism, particularly from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Arjuna was charged under U/S 192, 196(1)(b), 197(1)(d), 353(1)(b) and 353(2) of the BNS.

The post, since deleted, urged young people to lead a "revolution", citing recent examples in Sri Lanka and Nepal. A screenshot widely shared online shows Arjuna writing, "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."

He added, "That revolution is going to be the reason for a change in government. Under a wicked ruler even the laws turn wicked." The post also accused Tamil Nadu police of assaulting citizens "for just walking on the road" and arresting them "for expressing opinions on social media".

DMK MP Kanimozhi called the remarks "irresponsible" and warned that such statements could incite violence.

TVK sources told NDTV the comments reflected Arjuna's personal views and were not endorsed by the party or its leader. "The party and Vijay will never instigate people or violence," one source said, adding that the post was removed promptly.

The party is under pressure following the Karur tragedy, with police attributing the deaths to what they described as Vijay's "deliberate display of political power". TVK has rejected this, alleging instead that mishandling by police and a power outage contributed to the disaster.

Arjuna has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking to ensure that Vijay is not prevented from meeting the families of those killed in Karur. He has also demanded the inquiry into the stampede -- currently led by Tamil Nadu police -- be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), arguing this would ensure impartiality.

The DMK has dismissed TVK's claims of a conspiracy, insisting safety protocols were not followed by the organisers. Police, for their part, have pointed to unscheduled stops by Vijay's campaign bus and an impromptu roadshow held without permission as the primary triggers for the fatal crush.