Three days since that enormous human tragedy at Velusamypuram in Karur, in which 41 people lost their lives, and what we have witnessed is a fierce exchange of accusations, allegations, ostensible show of grief to sustain political optics, a judicial commission, a series of FIRs and court cases.
TVK's top leadership, like its leader Vijay, have remained unavailable to journalists and to the public. They have instead moved courts seeking a CBI probe, accusing a conspiracy. FIRs have been filed on serious charges against his party's top functionaries, a district secretary and another worker have been arrested, but Vijay and the rest of his leadership remain cocooned from public glare.
It's time Vijay acts like a political leader and addresses a press conference, or at least gives a point-by-point rebuttal to the allegations made against him and his party. If not him, another leader from his party, if there is one.
What was his role in the planning and execution of the rallies, especially the rally at Velusamypuram? Why was he delayed in reaching the spot? Did he consciously leave for the events late? Did he proceed to the venue despite senior police officers asking him and his convoy not to proceed and stop about a hundred meters from the spot?
Isn't he, as the leader of the party, morally responsible for the events that unfolded? If they suspect a conspiracy of this brutal, inhuman scale, what prima facie evidence do they have to make that allegation? Most importantly, should he face criminal responsibility?
These are all important questions Vijay and his TVK need to answer. In fact, TVK leaders admit that there are very tough questions and are apprehensive that they may not have the answers in a press conference.
The question the law-and-order machinery and the State government need to answer is this. While they make such startling allegations of flouting conditions against the TVK, why have they not booked a criminal case against Vijay himself directly? Why is it that senior leaders of the TVK, including two general secretaries, have been booked, and a district secretary has been arrested, but no legal responsibility has been placed on Vijay himself?
The fact is that while it is easy to make political allegations against Vijay, action against him by the police runs the risk of turning the entire narrative into Vijay being victimised and targeted by the DMK.
While every political party has made allegations against Vijay, they've all soft-pedalled in demanding action against Vijay directly. In fact, any action against him directly could turn into a political misadventure for the DMK. The Congress, a DMK ally for the last two decades, has even sent the optics of warming up to Vijay with a call from Rahul Gandhi to the actor-politician. The AIADMK, which has demanded a CBI probe, has not demanded action against Vijay directly or his arrest. Smaller political parties have issued statements suiting their political needs. Every political force is defining its equation with Vijay, including the DMK and the BJP, and action in this case will depend on political calculations over legal considerations.
It's sadly the reality of how the system works. The law is never really applied equally to all concerned; politicians, almost always, receive preferential treatment and the decision to file a case against them or not is a political one and not a legal, procedural one. While a star like Allu Arjun was booked in the Hyderabad stampede, the top of the political establishment exonerated itself in the Bengaluru RCB celebrations stampede, where 11 people died. This is not just about a politician and a star. Even in Allu Arjun's case, the fact that he was booked backfired terribly on the State government and the Chief Minister was personally accused of targeting him for personal reasons. Such is the power of stardom. It's easier to book cases and punish the low profile.
Amongst Vijay's fans the zest to stand in a furious crowd to get a glimpse of him, despite such a tragedy, will not grow weaker. If he comes out in public, there will still be crowds of this nature and that's a telling reality of the social psyche. Stars and politicians thrive on it.
The politics after this stampede would have an impact, but more because of how the TVK is responding to it. It will mould the political narrative of the TVK and expose weaknesses in its political armour. It is a one man show now, without an organisation, second runs leadership and an ability to respond to a crisis. But this will not change Vijay's fan appeal or base.
He remains the X factor in Tamil Nadu 2026, which is perhaps why the question of fixing legal responsibility for the stampede on him will be a political one and the answer to it will also be a political one. Not one determined by the cause of justice for the 41 lives or the spirit of ensuring no one gets away in such an enormous tragedy.
