Bharatiya Janata Party State president, Nainar Nagenthran on Sunday (December 28, 2025) claimed the State government machinery orchestrated the Karur stampede at the TVK rally in September, that led to the death of 41 people.Speaking at a rally in Udhagamandalam, Mr. Nagenthran said actor-politician Vijay had erred in being late to the rally. Nonetheless, according to him, once Mr. Vijay had begun speaking about “₹10 bottles,” alluding to ₹10 being charged in addition to the Maximum Retail Price of liquor at TASMAC outlets, “slippers were thrown, lights were switched off and the police resorted to lathicharge.”He added that children, including two and 10-year-olds were trampled to death in front of their own parents. Recalling Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s visit to the Karur within hours of the tragedy, he asked, “Who was he trying to protect by reaching the scene so quickly?”He also questioned why the Chief Minister did not visit the families of the victims of the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi last year, while he rushed to the scene of the stampede.Mr. Nagenthran also spoke of the Thirupparankundram “deepam” issue and claimed that the Chief Minister was responsible for the death by suicide of a 40-year-old man, who was “upset” over the government’s ban on lighting of the lamp at a different pillar this year. “You have to answer for this, for raising impeachment proceedings against Justice G. R. Swaminathan [by the INDIA bloc MPs],” he said.Also present at the rally was the BJP leader K. Annamalai and Central Minister L. Murugan.Published - December 28, 2025 10:01 pm IST