A month after a tragic stampede in Karur, Tamil Nadu, actor-politician Vijay met with the families of the victims on Monday, October 27, 2025. The incident, which occurred on September 27 during a rally organized by Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), resulted in the deaths of 41 people.
The meeting took place at a resort in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai, where the TVK booked approximately 50 rooms to accommodate the families. According to TVK functionaries, most of the families who lost loved ones in the stampede attended the meeting. Sources indicate that 38 families were transported to Chennai in eight private buses arranged by the party. Some families arrived on Sunday, while others were expected to arrive on Monday morning, with one family from Tiruppur opting not to travel. Some families performed the 30th-day rituals for the deceased before departing for Mamallapuram.
Vijay's decision to convene the meeting in Mahabalipuram rather than visiting the families in Karur drew mixed reactions. Initially, Vijay had planned to visit Karur, but the plan was dropped due to logistical and security concerns. Some relatives questioned the logic of asking them to meet the actor in Chennai instead of him visiting them at their homes. Some people criticized the actor for arranging travel and accommodation for the affected families instead of visiting Karur himself. The party maintained that the arrangement was made because Vijay could not secure permission from authorities to visit the victims in Karur.
The meeting commenced with a candlelight tribute to honor the 41 victims in the resort's convention hall. Following the tribute, Vijay met with each family individually in a separate room to express his condolences and offer support. The event was scheduled to conclude by 3 p.m. after lunch, after which the families would begin their journey back to Karur.
TVK functionaries coordinated the travel and accommodation arrangements, with district secretaries from Karur, Coimbatore, and Erode overseeing the logistics. Cadres visited the houses of bereaved family members and arranged cars for their local travel. Senior district secretaries and volunteers from Voice of Commons assisted the families throughout the trip.
Prior to the meeting, Vijay had reached out to the families via video calls, expressing his sympathy and assuring them of assistance. The TVK had also announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for each victim's family. According to TVK sources, 39 of the 41 families affected had already received the compensation. The remaining two payments were delayed due to technical reasons related to the recipients' bank accounts.
The event marked Vijay's first personal meeting with the families since the stampede. TVK leaders described the event as a "solemn, humane occasion" meant to express solidarity rather than seek publicity. Vijay hoped to stand by the families in their moment of grief and assure them that their pain had not been forgotten.
