Karur Tragedy: Velumani slams Vijay for inaction

AIADMK leader and former minister S.P. Velumani on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founder Vijay over the recent tragedy in Karur in which 41 people reportedly lost their lives. Addressing a party meeting in Coimbatore, Velumani questioned Vijay’s response to the incident. “Forty-one people have died in Karur. Vijay went to Chennai and never returned. Should he not have rushed to the hospital immediately? Should he not have ensured their safety? How can such inaction be accepted?” he asked. Vijay, who has floated Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and is preparing to contest the upcoming Assembly elections independently, has in recent weeks intensified criticism of both the DMK and the AIADMK, accusing them of corruption and misrule. Referring to past interactions, Velumani claimed that during an issue surrounding the release of a Vijay film, the actor had stayed at his residence. “I took him in my car to meet Edappadi K. Palaniswami and helped facilitate the film’s release,” he said.
The remarks mark an escalation in the political war of words between the AIADMK and Vijay’s party ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.