Selective Compassion? Vijay Accused of Overlooking Families of Late TVK Workers
TVK chief accused of neglecting two loyal cadre deaths.
As Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay visited Karur to console families of the recent stampede tragedy, a storm of controversy erupted in Tiruchy with mysterious posters slamming the leader for allegedly abandoning the kin of two dedicated party workers who perished in a fatal road accident exactly one year ago while rushing to attend the party’s flagship Vikravandi conference.
The incendiary posters, plastered across prominent junctions in Tiruchy and issued under the banner of Veera Devendira Makkal Munnetra Arakkattalai, boldly accused Vijay of selective compassion. They highlighted that while victims’ families from the Karur stampede were promptly granted Rs 20 lakh in relief, the bereaved relatives of V L Srinivasan (35), former TVK Tiruchy South district president, and Woraiyur vice president Kalai alias Kalaikovan (40), have been left in limbo despite their unwavering loyalty and ultimate sacrifice.
The two cadres met a tragic end on October 27, 2024, when their vehicle collided near Ulundurpet in Kallakurichi district en route to the high-profile TVK event. Srinivasan, a lifelong devotee who rose through the ranks of Vijay Makkal Iyakkam before TVK’s formal launch, had reportedly mobilized thousands for the conference, turning it into a massive show of strength. Yet, according to the posters, neither Vijay nor the party leadership has publicly mourned their loss or revisited their families with substantial support beyond an initial Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia payment per family—deemed grossly inadequate by critics.
Also Read: TVK Chief Vijay to Personally Console Families of 41 Karur Stampede Victims on Monday
S M Settu, president of the organization behind the posters, told TNIE that the families continue to struggle financially and emotionally. “Vijay has never personally offered condolences, nor has he acknowledged their sacrifice in any public forum,” Settu charged. “Srinivasan dedicated his youth to building the movement from the ground up. Is this how loyalty is repaid?” He demanded parity in relief measures and a formal recognition of the cadres’ contributions at the party level.
The timing of the posters—coinciding with Vijay’s high-visibility outreach in Karur—has fueled speculation of internal dissent within TVK’s rank and file, even as the party gears up for its maiden electoral battle. Sources close to the leadership dismissed the campaign as politically motivated, asserting that all due assistance was extended last year. However, the public outcry has thrust the issue into the spotlight, raising tough questions about consistency, gratitude, and the treatment of grassroots workers in Tamil Nadu’s evolving political landscape.
Also Read: Karur Stampede Investigation Shifted to CBI Amid Supreme Court Oversight
