5 injured in Thanjavur
The police explained what happened on the way to the venue. A large number of the actor’s fans followed his vehicle from Tiruchirappalli airport to the TVK meeting venue at Ayyasamipatti in Sengipatti village in the district, and when Vijay’s vehicle was approaching the venue, three students on three different motorcycles collided with each other as their vehicles surged forward. One of them sustained grievous injuries, police said.
Meanwhile, two other persons sustained injuries while they were returning after attending the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam meeting. The injured have been admitted to a private hospital, police said.
What Vijay said in the rally
At the rally, Vijay addressed party functionaries and appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu to give him a chance in the coming elections. “It may seem an ordinary election for others, but for me and the people loving me, it is an emotion, an oceanic emotion,” he said.
Vijay also claimed that politics was not about “collection” but a means to work for the people and it was the service motive that made him take a plunge in politics. The TVK chief announced a slew of poll promises for farmers including completely waiving off loans of those with five acres of land, bearing education expenses of farmers’ children. Fishermen’s safety, and transparent and corruption-free governance were also among the other poll assurances.
Karur tragedy
This is not the first time Vijay’s rally has been involved in an accident. Last year, the Karur tragedy at Vijay’s rally in September grabbed headlines and shocked the nation. The incident, described as a “stampede-like crush” by the district administration, occurred at Velusamypuram on the Karur–Erode highway, where thousands had gathered for Vijay’s ‘Velicham Veliyeru’ (‘Let There Be Light’) campaign meeting.
Vijay was addressing the audience when chaos broke out, forcing him to halt his speech. Eyewitnesses said the trouble began around 7.45 pm when large sections of the crowd, eager to catch a glimpse of Vijay, surged towards the stage barricades. Several people fainted in the suffocating rush. It resulted in the deaths of 41 people and injuries to around 100 others.
(with inputs from PTI)
