Nine months after a stampede killed 41 people during his election campaign, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay returned to Karur on Friday. He distributed government job offers to victims’ families, pledged to construct a memorial, and delivered remarks that combined remembrance, political criticism and lighter moments.
While his legislative addresses have typically been formal and measured, the Karur speech recalled his earlier style, using everyday language and occasional humour even as he revisited the tragedy. He described the incident as an enduring personal wound that cannot be erased despite professional success.
Vijay recounted the sequence of events before the September 2025 tragedy and questioned why local police had not warned organisers about excessive crowds, as officers in another district had done earlier. He stated that police had guided the convoy into the venue and suggested the incident resulted from deliberate political pressure rather than simple oversight, without naming specific individuals.
The most emotional section focused on the children who died. Vijay described their affection for him and expressed grief over their loss, prompting sustained applause from listeners. He then launched a direct critique of the previous administration, accusing it of widespread corruption and claiming his government had eliminated bribery in public offices within weeks. He urged citizens to refuse demands for bribes and to invoke his administration when facing such requests.
Vijay also promoted a proposed welfare programme and contrasted his approach with that of the prior government, using terms such as “evil force” for the DMK and “spent force” for the AIADMK. He responded to calls for more public statements by noting that his recent remarks had already challenged opponents. The address concluded with further remarks on upcoming legislative speeches.
