
Script change in Chennai? A new cast threatens the Dravidian long-run
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His friend turned down Velmurugan’s suggestion that they leave.“Vijay’s bus was supposed to stop near where we stood but people were standing in every inch of the space. I was not comfortable,” he recalled. The actor-turned politician finally turned up by 7pm.As Vijay’s bus made its way, splitting the crowd, it caused a round of stampede.
Velmurugan was pushed towards the generator shed. His friend fell but managed to move to safety. Many others couldn’t.
At least 41 people died that day in the stampede and over 100 were injured in one of the worst such disasters in Tamil Nadu.The incident left a scar on Velmurugan but he does not want to blame Vijay for it.“It was badly organized,” he said. His friend, he added, will still vote for TVK in the assembly polls scheduled for 23 April. But he is considering voting for Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), led by S.
Seeman, a former film-maker.“I like his approach to politics. While most leaders entice people with freebies either to cover their poor performance or grab power, he has been talking against it and promising just good governance,” Velmurugan explained.TVK is just over two years old, founded by Vijay on 2 February 2024. NTK is a bit older, founded in 2010.
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