Chennai, Oct 4 (IANS) Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) coordinator Senthamizhan Seeman on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of making deliberate moves to bring actor-turned-politician Vijay into its political fold, while sharply criticising the political blame game surrounding the recent Karur stampede tragedy.

Speaking to reporters at Tiruchendur, Seeman said the BJP’s actions showed an effort to “drag Vijay into an alliance.” “It is clear the BJP is working in favour of Vijay. Even when the Karur meeting happened, we congratulated Vijay for entering politics. But now, the way parties are trying to use the tragedy for political advantage is disturbing,” he said.

Seeman pointed out that while Vijay had been provided special security at Annamalai’s request, he himself was denied protection. “I asked for security; they refused. But Vijay was granted protection. Still, it is wrong to say that Vijay personally caused the tragedy. It is the people who were affected, and the government and police must own up to lapses,” he said.

Reflecting on the crowd crush that killed 41 people during Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally, Seeman urged political parties to rethink campaign styles. “When you take to the streets for massive rallies, there will be crowding. Western countries announce fixed schedules and safe venues; we should adopt such models,” he said, adding that avoiding mass jostling is in everyone’s interest. Seeman also used the opportunity to question the inclusivity of national politics toward Tamils.

“People talk about Tamil pride and Dravidian identity, but when it comes to giving real power, Tamils and Malayalis have been sidelined,” he said. “P. Chidambaram was a great economist, and he would have been made the Prime Minister, but Congress didn’t do so. They may give us ceremonial posts like President, but not real leadership.” He suggested a future system where the prime ministership rotates among states to ensure fair representation.

Calling the current mudslinging after the Karur tragedy “more cruel than the loss of lives”, Seeman appealed for responsibility and honesty from political parties. “Stop trading blame. Lives were lost. Admit mistakes and fix accountability,” he said.

This comes amid rising tensions in Tamil Nadu’s political scene after Vijay’s political entry and the BJP’s overtures to regional players ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

–IANS

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