Kantara Chapter 1 Star Rishab Shetty Breaks Silence On Tragic Karur Stampede At Vijay’s Rally: It Was Not...

Rishab Shetty, an actor currently basking in the success of his film "Kantara: Chapter 1," addressed the tragic stampede at Tamil actor-politician Vijay's rally in Karur. The incident resulted in over 40 fatalities. In a recent interview, Rishab described the stampede as a 'collective mistake' and expressed sorrow over such occurrences.

"If we like a hero or his character, we do hero worship. How can I comment on that (the stampede)? It's unfortunate when these accidents happen; around 40 people died there. I don't think it could be one person's mistake; maybe it was a collective mistake made by many. Maybe it could have been controlled. That's why we call it an accident," Rishab told NDTV.

Stampede Incident and Aftermath

The stampede occurred during Vijay's rally, where more than 30,000 attendees gathered despite the venue's capacity being only 10,000. This overcrowding led to chaos and ultimately resulted in the tragic loss of lives. Over 60 individuals also sustained injuries during the event.

Vijay reached out to the families affected by the tragedy through a video call on October 7. During this interaction, he offered condolences to those who lost loved ones in the incident. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief is facing criticism from the ruling DMK government for his role in the tragedy.

Legal Actions and Criticism

An FIR has been filed regarding the stampede, implicating Vijay for staying inside his campaign vehicle too long, which contributed to crowd unrest. Despite this, no FIR has been lodged against him directly; instead, three members of his party have been booked.

Authorities reported violations of security guidelines at the rally, including insufficient food and water provisions for attendees. The state police highlighted these lapses as contributing factors to the disaster.

Rishab further commented on crowd control challenges: "It was not intentional. We should take precautions. But who will control a mob? How can I comment on that? We can easily blame the police or government; they also have a responsibility. But sometimes they will also have trouble controlling the crowd."

The incident underscores significant safety concerns at large public gatherings and highlights the need for stringent adherence to security protocols to prevent future tragedies.