CM Vijay visits Karur, gives jobs to victims' families

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay visited Karur on July 10, 2026, for his first official trip to the district since taking office, distributing government job offers to families of victims of a fatal 2025 stampede while launching a forceful political defense of his actions surrounding the tragedy. The visit, which included the launch of a major industrial project, unfolded under tight security and amid ongoing legal scrutiny over the government's relief measures.

The Chief Minister personally handed over compassionate appointment orders to 32 individuals, each representing a family that lost a member in the stampede on September 27, 2025. The incident, which occurred during a campaign rally for Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party ahead of the state assembly elections, resulted in 41 deaths and is under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The distribution of jobs followed a Madras High Court order earlier on July 10 that allowed the government to proceed but stipulated the appointments must be temporary and remain subject to judicial review.

In a public address, Vijay described the stampede as an "unhealed wound" and a source of "immense...