During a heated Assembly debate on Wednesday (October 15) concerning the tragic Karur stampede, AIADMK General Secretary and Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami led his party’s MLAs in a dramatic walkout. The walkout followed strong accusations of bias against Speaker M. Appavu and a brief sit-in protest within the House.
This dramatic exit occurred even after the Chief Minister, Speaker Appavu, and senior Minister Duraimurugan attempted to de-escalate the situation, assuring AIADMK members that their concerns—including demands to expunge controversial remarks by Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar—would be duly addressed.
Following the walkout, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin stated that he had already provided a comprehensive account of the Karur tragedy and the measures implemented by the State government in response to a Rule 56 notice from the Opposition. He thanked members who offered constructive suggestions.
Chief Minister Stalin criticized the AIADMK’s action, suggesting their inability to find flaws in the government’s response led them to disrupt House proceedings. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to considering any genuinely helpful suggestions.
He further hinted that Mr. Palaniswami’s persistent focus on the issue might be driven by electoral alliance motives, a strategy he predicted would ultimately fail.
Outside the Assembly, Mr. Palaniswami directly attributed blame for the stampede deaths to the State government, dismissing the Chief Minister’s earlier statement as insufficient and lacking in both facts and accountability. He criticized the Speaker for allowing the Chief Minister to speak first on their adjournment motion, arguing it denied the main opposition party the opportunity to present its case initially. “We respected the Chair and listened, but his statement offered neither truth nor responsibility,” Palaniswami asserted.
Palaniswami emphasized that the Karur tragedy was entirely preventable if the state government had provided proper police protection. He pointed out that actor Vijay had previously held rallies in four other districts, and authorities, including the police and intelligence services, were fully aware of the expected crowd sizes. “Despite this knowledge,” he argued, “they permitted a public meeting in Veluchamipuram, a location previously deemed unsafe. The same site denied to AIADMK due to narrow roads was later approved for TVK, demonstrating a deliberate and negligent approach by the authorities.”
He further alleged that the government’s swift announcement of a one-man commission and the hurried completion of autopsies raised serious concerns. “The Karur government hospital reportedly has only two post-mortem tables. Even with three, how could 39 autopsies be finished so quickly, considering each takes at least 90 minutes?” Palaniswami questioned, implying a cover-up. “This entire process is a charade designed to conceal the truth,” he concluded.