Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday voiced profound anguish over the tragic Karur stampede in Tamil Nadu, which claimed 39 lives, strongly asserting that the recurring disasters are a “grim reminder of systemic flaws in crowd management” across India.
Speaking to reporters, the senior Congress leader called the incident “very tragic and painful,” emphasizing the heartbreaking frequency of such catastrophes. The stampede occurred during a massive rally addressed by actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president, Vijay, in Karur on Saturday, where the crowd vastly exceeded the expected turnout.
“Something is wrong in our country with crowd management. Every year, there seems to be an incident. We remember Bengaluru,” Tharoor said, referring to a similar recent tragedy. “It is heartbreaking when we hear children being killed in these stampedes.” Officials confirmed that the uncontrollable surge in the crowd forced Vijay to halt his speech as people fainted and collapsed.
Calls for a National Safety Framework
Tharoor noted that people attend rallies to see their leaders—be they politicians, film stars, or cricketers—and their “basic expectation should be safety.”
He underscored the urgent need for a unified approach to prevent such losses, appealing to both the Centre and all state governments to act immediately.
“There must be rules, standards, and protocols in place,” he stressed, urging authorities to adopt “strict procedures” for all large gatherings. “We should not have to repeatedly endure the grief of losing loved ones in such tragedies,” he added.
The Karur tragedy is one of the worst recent stampedes at a political gathering. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured, stating the incident was “deeply saddening.” Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also offered their condolences.