Tamil Nadu CM C. Joseph Vijay grants government jobs to families of Karur stampede victims

A crowd crush at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam rally in Karur in September 2025 killed 41 people and injured over 100. On 10 July 2026, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay visited Karur, the first official trip since taking office, and handed government appointment orders to 31 family members of the deceased. Most beneficiaries received junior‑assistant posts in the School Education, Revenue and Rural Development departments; a visually‑challenged widow was given a cash compensation of Rs 10 lakh. The Madras High Court had earlier approved the compassionate appointments on a temporary basis, subject to judicial review. Vijay, dressed in black and visibly emotional, described the incident as “the deepest wound of my life.” He also laid the foundation stone for a ₹1,700‑crore Evervan Kothari Footwear manufacturing project that aims to create about 13,500 jobs. A brief security breach occurred when a man tried to reach the CM’s convoy but was quickly restrained. Opposition parties called the visit politically motivated, while a Congress MP said it was purely humanitarian.