Chennai, 2 October (IANS) VCK President and MP Thol Thirumavalavan on Thursday questioned the Tamil Nadu government and police for “selective action” in the Karur tragedy, in which 41 people died during a public rally of actor-royalty Vijay.
Speaking to reporters, Thirumavalavan said the police approach was “shocking and biased”.
He said that when TVK state general secretary Busi Anand was booked in the incident, no case was filed against Vijay himself or against other prominent organizers.
“41 people died in Karur’s stampede, why has the police registered an FIR only against Anand, not Vijay, Arun Raj, or Election Campaign General Secretary Aadhar Arjunan?” He asked.
“If there was any reason to book Anand, is the same not applicable to Vijay and other main organizers who planned and managed the program?” Thirumavalavan said.
“Is the government afraid to take action against powerful? Are we now in a system where strong alone is strong when it is strong?” He said.
Recalling his own experience, the VCK leader cited an incident nearly two decades ago when he was booked by the police despite no connection with a violent episode near Nanarpalayam in Vilapuram district.
He said, “I did not even know about the incident when this happened, yet cases were registered against me by the then Villupuram SP Ravi. This shows how soon the police had worked against something, showing reluctance elsewhere,” he said.
He said that the responsibility of such tragedies does not end with the lower level organizers, but has spread to those who imagined and led the campaign.
“Those who delays, who created conditions to crush the crowd, and those who take decisions affecting security should be held accountable. Why is the same yardstick not implemented here?” Thirumavalavan demanded to clarify the state whether the political calculation was stopping a fair investigation and has been called before the law for equal treatment.
“When life is lost, justice should not depend on power or popularity,” he said. On 27 September, Karur’s stampede was during the “Meat the People” event of Vijay, in which 41 were killed and more than 60 were injured.
An inquiry panel led by retired Judge Aruna Jagadisin is investigating the tragedy.
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Aal/svn