The Supreme Court rebuked the DMK Tuesday over a plea against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay and the ruling TVK in connection with the September 2025 Karur stampede case.
A bench of Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe declared its unhappiness over the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s application to “regulate the chief minister’s speeches and visits” and criticised the opposition party for using the top judicial forum to settle political scores.
“What exactly are you trying to say? You want the Supreme Court to dictate what a chief minister should do?” the court asked incredulously. “Chief Minister Vijay is not an accused.”
“You want injunction on free speech? You make your own speech… how does the Supreme Court, in a matter where the CBI has been appointed to investigate, give orders against a political rival’s statement?” the irked court asked DMK General Secretary RS Bharathi.
The DMK then requested – and the court agreed – that the plea be withdrawn.
Earlier, counsel for the DMK had claimed a “narrative is being built by those accused”.
On Monday, the court had agreed to list the plea on an urgent basis.
RECAP | TVK Ministers Influencing Karur Stampede Case Witnesses? Top Court To Hear Plea
This was after the petitioner claimed Vijay and other members of the Tamila Vettri Kazhagam – the actor-politician’s fledgling political party that claimed a surprise win in the April-May election – could ‘influence’ witnesses.
The reference was to a proposed July 10 visit by the chief minister to Karur.
The DMK claimed the meeting – which will reportedly include the chief minister handing over job letters and financial aid to the families of those killed – could be construed as ‘influencing’ witnesses who may be part of the ongoing federal investigation.
The opposition party had also taken exception to TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna’s July 2 statement, in which he allegedly said that “there is a score to settle” over the Karur stampede. He allegedly said the DMK – which was in power at the time of the stampede – “killed (the people of) Karur through the police”.
The Karur stampede case refers to the tragic incident in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district in September last year, in which 41 people were killed as a large crowd waited for Vijay’s campaign speech. The disaster prompted severe political backlash for the actor-politician and his party.
In March Vijay – then still a chief ministerial candidate – appeared before the CBI for a third round of questioning. The federal agency took over the investigation a month after the stampede and as directed by the Supreme Court. A TVK source told NDTV then: “Our leader will cooperate with the investigation. We hope this will bring out the truth.”
The DMK has also told the court the stampede was because of a series of “reckless and uncoordinated actions” by the organisers and TVK workers. Simultaneously, Tamil Nadu Police, in the original First Information Report accessed by NDTV, had alleged that a “deliberate display of political power” by Vijay led to the 41 deaths.
But Vijay and the TVK have hit back by alleging a “conspiracy” hatched by the DMK.
