Fled on flight: Senthil Balaji accuses Vijay of abandoning Karur stampede victims
DMK leader V Senthil Balaji on Friday hit back at Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over his remarks in Karur on the stampede of September
DMK leader V Senthil Balaji on Friday hit back at Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over his remarks in Karur on the stampede of September 27 last year, accusing him of failing to stand by the victims and their families. Balaji said the previous government acted as the "true saviours" of those affected, while adding that the current Chief Minister had "abandoned" his own supporters in their hour of grief. Read Full Story The exchange came during Vijay's maiden visit to Karur after becoming Chief Minister, where he targeted the opposition DMK over the stampede incident.
During the visit, CM Vijay also accused the party of trying to gain "political mileage" from the tragedy and also criticised it for restraining him from visiting the western town. In a post on X, Senthil Balaji asked, "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?" He said that as soon as news of the stampede broke, then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his deputy Udhayanidhi Stalin rushed to Karur.
The MLA credited the DMK leadership with working round the clock to comfort grieving families and personally monitoring advanced medical treatment, which he claimed saved countless lives. He also alleged that when a large number of people were collapsing in distress during the event, Vijay threw away a water bottle, asked for an ambulance, and continued his speech. Balaji further said, "Despite journalists informing them at the Trichy airport that multiple lives had been lost, who refused to visit the suffering people and instead fled on a private flight?
The people of Karur know the answer only too well." The sharp exchange followed Vijay's remarks in Karur, with both sides citing the stampede and its aftermath as they traded charges over how the tragedy was handled. Ends
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