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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay defends his government in Assembly, rejects blame for Karur stampede that killed 41, reiterates party ideology inspired by BR Ambedkar and K Kamaraj
File photo of Tamil Nadu CM Vijay.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Tuesday used his address in the Assembly to defend his government’s political journey, reiterate its ideological position, and push back against criticism over the Karur stampede, saying he did not understand why his party was blamed for the tragedy that claimed 41 lives.
Speaking in the House, Vijay said his party had drawn inspiration from leaders such as BR Ambedkar and K Kamaraj while charting its own political course.
He said that while the party did not subscribe to Periyar’s rejection of religious belief, it had embraced his broader principles. “We have always made it clear that we are not opposed to anyone’s ideology,” he said, adding that the government had adopted Ambedkar’s ideals of equal opportunity and social justice and Kamaraj’s model of honest administration.
Vijay said his party had clearly identified its political and ideological opponents from the outset and chose to engage directly with the people before formally launching the organisation. Rejecting attempts to dismiss it as merely an actor-led outfit, he noted that the party contested the 2026 Assembly election on its own and secured 35 per cent of the vote share, garnering 17.2 million votes.
“Some mockingly say that we achieved this in just two and a quarter years. But everyone knows the extent of the challenges and difficulties we faced during this journey,” he said.
Referring to the Karur stampede, Vijay said the incident had caused him immense pain and questioned the political attacks that followed. “In Karur, 41 people lost their lives, and the blame was placed on us. Is this how politics should be conducted?” he asked.
The Chief Minister also alleged that the DMK and AIADMK had joined hands to stop his rise and claimed that several restrictions had been imposed on his rallies. He defended his government’s decision to release a white paper on Tamil Nadu’s finances, arguing that people were still suffering because of the previous administration’s policies.
Drawing comparisons with former chief ministers CN Annadurai and MG Ramachandran, Vijay said his administration represented “the government of the most ordinary people”. He further claimed that his party had broken barriers of religion and caste in the 2026 election.
On the language issue, Vijay reiterated that no language should be imposed on students, stressing that education policies must respect linguistic diversity and individual choice.
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