What happened behind the scenes – and a screen – when Vijay met families of Karur stampede victims?

The meetings, which began in the morning, went on till about 5 pm at the resort. Each family received a photo frame of their deceased relative and a Rs 5 lakh health insurance policy, the sources said. “Some of the families gave him petitions, and he received them as well,” one of the leaders said. “Vijay apologised for bringing them to Chennai and told them they can contact him anytime. He promised to visit them when he comes to Karur next time.”

Party sources said the event was designed to give Vijay a chance to “personally” meet each family after the tragedy that halted his political campaign. (Express photo by Arun Janardhanan)

Breakfast and lunch were arranged for the visitors, who stayed in rooms booked by the party. Four families did not attend.

Party sources said the event was designed to give Vijay a chance to “personally” meet each family after the tragedy that halted his political campaign. But critics – including some within his own movement – see it as another example of the distance that has come to define his political style.

The Mahabalipuram meeting, some within TVK say privately, mirrored that pattern – a one-way outreach conducted on his terms, in his space, and just a few kilometres from his beachfront residence.

When victim families were invited to the Monday meeting, 20 families said yes immediately. “But 21 were reluctant. They asked why they should travel to see him when it should have been the other way around,” a TVK leader said on Saturday. However, TVK functionaries worked overtime to convince them to attend.

The stampede on September 27 had claimed the lives of 41 people, including 18 women and 10 children. The victims were from Karur, Erode, Dindigul, Tiruppur, and Salem districts. The crowd had gathered at Velusamypuram, along the Karur–Erode Highway, for what was billed as a “people’s rally,” when chaos erupted near the exit after Vijay’s address.

In the weeks that followed, Vijay faced criticism from the court for leaving the venue after the stampede. In the past month, TVK had suspended all public activity. Of the 41 affected families, 39 have already received Rs 20 lakh each as compensation from the party; the remaining two were awaiting bank clearances, according to TVK leadership on Saturday.

According to Vijay’s close aides, the shift in the meeting venue from Karur to Mahabalipuram was necessary due to “logistical and security issues.” The party had earlier sought police permission to hold the event in Karur, but, according to TVK officials, failed to find a venue.

Still, the choice of venue on Monday — a private seaside resort just a short drive from his residence — has raised eyebrows, even among sympathisers. “He could have travelled quietly to Karur and met them at their homes,” said a TVK district leader from northern Tamil Nadu. “That would have spoken louder than this managed event.”

By evening, the last of the buses carrying the families began the ride back to Karur.