Amid Karur tragedy, TVK leader calls for 'youth revolution' then deletes post

Chennai, Sep 30 (IANS) TVK election campaign management General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna has triggered a political storm with a now-deleted social media post urging a “youth revolution” against the authorities.

In a late-night post on X on Monday, Aadhav Arjuna wrote: “If walking on the streets leads to beatings, and posting a comment on social media leads to arrest, then when the police have become mere servants of those in power, the only way to restore order is through a youth revolution. Just as young people and the Gen Z generation united against authorities in Sri Lanka and Nepal, youth will rise here too. That rise will lay the foundation for regime change and the end of state terror. When demons rule, even funeral grounds devour corpses.”

The post, which many saw as incendiary, was deleted within minutes, but screenshots had already gone viral.

Political parties across Tamil Nadu, still reeling from the Karur tragedy, reacted sharply.

The controversy unfolds as the state mourns the devastating stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s TVK rally in Velayuthampalayam, Karur, on September 27. The rally, part of TVK’s election campaign, turned catastrophic when an overcrowded venue saw panic and a deadly crush.

Forty-one people, including eight children, lost their lives, and over 60 others were injured.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who rushed to Karur hours after the incident, announced an inquiry commission under retired High Court judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan and promised that “rules and guidelines for political rallies” would be framed after the report.

He urged the public “not to spread unverified claims or malicious comments during this sensitive time.”

AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami expressed condolences but blamed poor crowd management and called for “an impartial probe that goes beyond eyewash.”

Vijay, who has faced both grief and criticism after the deaths, described the stampede as “an unimaginable tragedy” and pledged personal support, including Rs 20 lakh to each bereaved family.

He has also demanded accountability for any lapses in security and venue arrangements.

Opposition leaders argued that Aadhav Arjuna’s remarks risk inflaming emotions when families are still mourning.

Ruling DMK figures condemned the post as “irresponsible”, while AIADMK said it revealed TVK’s frustration after the deadly rally.

As the state reels from the Karur disaster, the deleted post has added a volatile political edge to an already tense atmosphere.

--IANS

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