Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and MLA from Tamil Nadu’s Karur, Senthil Balaji on Saturday launched a verbal attack on the state’s Chief Minister (CM), C Joseph Vijay over his recent remarks on the Karur stampede. He accused the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief of abandoning the stampede’s victims during the tragedy while the then government, ruled by DMK, worked tirelessly to provide relief and medical aid.

The political exchange came against the backdrop of Vijay making his maiden visit to the town as TN’s CM on Friday. During the visit, he accused the opposition DMK of attempting to derive political mileage from the stampede and alleged that the Dravidian party had prevented him from visiting the Western Tamil Nadu town in the aftermath of the incident.

Balaji questions’s Vijay’s conduct during stampede

Balaji responded through a post on the social media platform, ‘X’, questioning Vijay’s conduct during the stampede which transpired during his rally on September 27, 2025. He wrote, “Who stood on the ground, shoulder to shoulder, to rescue my beloved people of Karur during the tragic incident on September 27 last year? Who worked sleeplessly, day and night, at the forefront to help my Karur family?”

The former minister remarked that the DMK government, ruled by TN’s former CM MK Stalin, acted swiftly after the news of the stampede broke out.

Balaji credits DMK for relief efforts

Balaji then recalled that former CM Stalin and former Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin rushed to the town soon after the tragedy befell. He claimed that the DMK leadership incessantly monitored rescue operations, comforted bereaved families and personally supervised advanced medical treatment for the injured.

A still from Vijay's earlier rally in Karur, where a stampede broke out later

As per him, these efforts played a pivotal role in saving lives of numerous participants of the rally and ensuring timely assistance to the ones who were affected by the stampede.

“Vijay continued with speech despite stampede”: DMK leader

Continuing his critique of Vijay, Balaji alleged that while scores of attendees of the rally were collapsing in distress during the event, Vijay merely threw away a water bottle, directed the authorities that an ambulance be arranged, and continued with his speech.

He added that despite journalists informing Vijay and his team at the Tiruchirappalli airport that multiple people died, the former did not care even to visit the victims or their families.

Political debate intensifies

The remarks mark the latest flashpoint in the political rivalry between the DMK and the TVK, as both sides levelled allegations over the handling of the Karur stampede.

During his first speech as TN CM in Karur on Friday, Vijay had accused the DMK of exploiting the tragedy for political gains and criticised the party for allegedly preventing him from visiting the district after the incident.