TVK chief Vijay gets hoax bomb threat call weeks after Karur stampede

The Chennai police received a call on Thursday about a bomb threat at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor Vijay's house, which later turned out to be a hoax.

According to an India Today report, the bomb threat call was directed at Vijay's residence in Tamil Nadu’s Neelangarai. The caller allegedly dialed the emergency number and warned of planting a bomb if he held any meetings in the future.

An investigation was launched by the Chennai police, who were trying to trace the caller's location. Additionally, security at Vijay's house in Neelangarai has been tightened.

The threat comes after Vijay's tragic political rally in Karur, which resulted in the loss of at least 41 lives after a stampede broke out. The incident, which occurred on September 27, left at least 65 injured on the day of the incident. Reports suggest that most of the adult victims were reportedly between 18 and 30 years old.

What happened at Vijay's rally in Karur?

Reports citing authorities estimated that close to 50,000 people gathered to attend Vijay's rally. The actor, popularly called 'Thalapathy' by his fans, was addressing the rally.

Reports attribute the tragedy to inadequate security measures and poor crowd management at the actor’s political rally, making it one of the deadliest such events in the state’s recent history.

According to a report by The Hindu, TVK organisers initially sought permission for rallies in four congested areas; however, the police instead chose Velusamypuram on the Karur–Erode road, a venue that had recently hosted a rally by AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Karur stampede aftermath

Following the tragic loss of lives, a political blame game erupted with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) spokesperson Saravanan blaming TVK for “wilfully” ignoring police instructions. He said, "From day one, they were not willing to listen to the conditions imposed by the Police. They wilfully violated them."

The actor-politician also expressed grief after the tragic event unfolded and said, "My heart has broken, I am in unbearable, inexplicable pain and grief."

Since the tragic stampede, the actor has reached out personally and made phone calls to many of the bereaved families.

On Wednesday, Vijay's TVK moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Madras High Court's order constituting a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the Karur stampede that killed 41 people. The apex court agreed to hear the plea on Friday.

The party has also petitioned the police seeking permission for the actor and the party president to visit Karur and meet the families of the victims.

This development came after the Madras High Court criticised Vijay and his party for allegedly abandoning the scene after the stampede and showing no remorse, leading to a court-ordered probe by an SIT.