Karur, Sep 28 What was meant to be a night of excitement ended in unspeakable grief for two young lives in Tamil Nadu's Karur.
Among the 40 victims of the stampede that broke out during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor Vijay's political rally on Saturday night were childhood sweethearts and soon-to-be-engaged couple, M. Akash (26) and S. Gokulasri (26).
Akash, an IT professional, and Gokulasri, a guest lecturer at the Valluvar College of Science and Management, were planning to get engaged next month and married in January next year.
On Saturday, the couple went with Gokulasri's elder brother, Prabhakaran, to catch a glimpse of "Vijay Anna".
Hours of waiting turned to panic when the swelling crowd lost control after Vijay's delayed arrival.
"We were on the terrace of a house near the venue. When we tried to come down, the crowd surged. My sister told me to move away since I had recently undergone angioplasty," said a devastated Prabhakaran.
Minutes later, Akash and Gokulasri were caught in the crush.
"My mother even called at 6 p.m. on Saturday asking us to return, but we stayed back," he said, fighting tears.
Their bodies were handed over to relatives on Sunday morning after post-mortem, and their funerals took place later on the same day.
The tragedy has shaken the entire Tamil Nadu.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who rushed to Karur soon after the incident, called it "unprecedented in the state's history".
He announced Rs 10 lakh solatium for each victim's family and ordered a probe led by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan.
Chief Minister Stalin said the report would reveal the lapses and ensure accountability.
Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami visited grieving families and criticised the DMK-led state government and the police for failing to anticipate the turnout at the rally.
"Proper safety measures were not in place despite knowing the size of the crowd," he alleged, urging stronger crowd management protocols.
Actor-politician Vijay, who initially maintained silence before posting on the social media, called the tragedy "an irreparable loss" and announced a solatium of Rs 20 lakh to the families of each deceased victims and Rs 2 lakh to the injured.
The TVK Chief urged his supporters to stay strong during this "heart-shattering moment".
As families like those of Akash and Gokulasri grapple with unimaginable loss, Karur mourns a night when celebration turned to catastrophe -- and the state faces tough questions about safety at political gatherings.
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