'I am sorry for bringing you here: TVK's Vijay meets families of Karur stampede victims

Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has arranged the meeting at a resort where the party has booked 50 rooms to enable him to personally meet the bereaved families and convey his condolences.

Chennai: In a move that led to criticism from several quarters, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) President and actor Vijay on Monday met with families of the victims of a stampede at his September 27 rally in Karur at a luxurious resort in Mamallapuram. Of the 38 families, it is learnt that seven opted out of the visit citing 30th day ritual for the deceased while 31 families travelled about 400 km from Karur to reach Mamallapuram, 50 km from Chennai, in buses specially arranged for them by TVK.

Though Vijay’s camp said they had no choice but to bring the families to Mamallapuram after efforts to organize the meeting in Karur failed, the fact that over 150 people came from their native places to meet the actor and accept his condolences didn’t go well with many political parties. Except the BJP which said Karur was not the right location for the meeting, no party came out in support of Vijay, who has been accused of “working from home” as he even invited protesters to his office instead of going to the site.

“Vijay met the families one by one. It was a private meeting. Some families spoke to him for 20 to 30 minutes. We planned the event for about three hours, but it went on for over ten hours. It was an outpouring of emotions, and none could stop,” a source aware of the developments told DH.

“He apologized to them for not coming to Karur to meet them,” the source added.

Vijay, according to the sources, also promised the families that he will stand-by them and help them for life. “He also noted down the needs of each family and assured them of support. Some families gave a note on their sufferings and the help they need. Vijay assured them of all possible help for their children and other family members,” the source added.

The actor spoke to the families virtually in the first week of October and electronically transferred Rs 20 lakh as a solatium. He promised to meet them in Karur, but the plan was called-off after the organisers could not arrange such a program in a tier-III city. “A meeting of this scale with each family spending personal time with Vijay was not possible outside Chennai. Vijay felt he should meet them in a private setting and it happened today. He has promised to be with them forever,” another source said.

Vijay has been under attack from various quarters, especially the ruling DMK and its alliance partners, for not meeting the families of the victims of the September 27 stampede.

The actor-politician also wrote a letter to the Director General of Police on October 9 which stoked a row as he sought a green corridor from Tiruchirapalli to Karur and police protection to control his fans and supporters at the airport and at the venue to meet the families.