Karur Stampede: What Are TN BJP Chief's 12 Questions for CM Stalin?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Call for CBI probe to ensure impartial investigation.
- 12 critical questions posed to CM Stalin by BJP chief.
- Concerns over administrative failures leading to the tragedy.
- Public dissatisfaction with the government's transparency.
- Urgent need for accountability from local officials.
Chennai, Oct 1 (NationPress) The President of the Tamil Nadu BJP, K. Nainar Nagenthran, fiercely criticized Chief Minister M.K. Stalin regarding the tragic stampede in Karur on September 27, which resulted in 41 fatalities and numerous injuries during actor-politician Vijay’s TVK rally.
After visiting the injured individuals and the families affected, alongside a BJP parliamentary fact-finding team, Nagenthran asserted that the incident revealed serious administrative failures and called for a transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
He expressed that the team was deeply affected by the pain and anger of those impacted, emphasizing that there is a lack of public confidence in the one-man inquiry commission.
“Only a neutral and independent CBI investigation can reveal the truth,” Nagenthran stated, as he outlined a set of 12 critical questions for the Chief Minister.
He questioned why the DMK government permitted the Karur bus stand roundabout to host events for the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, yet denied the same venue to other political entities like TVK.
He raised concerns about the government's failure to clarify the cause of the deadly surge, despite videos showing shoes thrown at Vijay, a lathi-charge on the crowd, and allegations of knife attacks.
Nagenthran criticized the Chief Minister’s swift response in Karur compared to his lack of urgency in addressing other tragedies such as the Kallakurichi illicit liquor deaths, the Vengaivayal caste atrocity, and various custodial deaths, suggesting that the urgency seemed to cover up the truth rather than promote transparency.
He questioned why 25 individuals were charged and four, including journalist Felix, were arrested in such a short span, interpreting it as an effort to stifle public and media inquiries.
Nagenthran condemned the police for attributing blame to TVK for misjudging the crowd size at 10,000 while failing to manage the much larger turnout effectively.
He also asked why the rally was not halted or postponed when authorities suspected disorder due to Vijay’s delayed arrival.
Pointing out significant security lapses, he wondered why there was a minimal police presence and why the Karur district police chief was absent during a gathering of such magnitude.
Despite evident failures, no action has been taken against local officials, raising suspicions that the government might fear uncovering deeper truths.
Nagenthran also called out the inquiry commission head for making public statements before concluding the investigation and questioned who authorized the Revenue Secretary to issue potentially compromising statements regarding the probe's integrity.
In closing, Nagenthran queried why the DMK government, which transferred the Ajith Kumar custodial death case to the CBI, hesitates to do the same for the Karur stampede.
Labeling the incident as a “man-made disaster due to the DMK’s administrative shortcomings”, Nagenthran demanded an unbiased CBI investigation, asserting that “The people of Tamil Nadu deserve truthful answers and accountability for this tragedy.”