Actor Rishab Shetty, who is currently enjoying the success of his latest film *Kantara: Chapter 1*, has reacted to the tragic stampede during Tamil actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, which claimed over 40 lives.
In a recent interview with NDTV, Rishab described the stampede as a “collective mistake” and expressed his condolences for the unfortunate incident. He said,
*”If we like a hero or his character, we do hero worship. How can I comment on that (the stampede)? It’s unfortunate when these accidents happen; around 40 people died there. I don’t think it could be one person’s mistake; maybe it was a collective mistake made by many. Maybe it could have been controlled. That’s why we call it an accident.”*
The actor-director further added,
*”It was not intentional. We should take precautions. But who will control a mob? How can I comment on that? We can easily blame the police or government; they also have a responsibility. But sometimes they will also have trouble controlling the crowd.”*
On October 7, Vijay reached out to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede through a video call. During the call, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
The tragic stampede during Vijay’s rally resulted in at least 41 deaths and left over 60 people injured. Following the incident, an FIR has been filed, holding the TVK chief responsible for the tragedy.
According to the FIR, Vijay remained inside his campaign vehicle at the venue for an extended period, which led to overcrowding and unrest among the crowd. The actor-politician is currently facing criticism from the ruling DMK government over the incident.
State police reported that more than 30,000 people had gathered at the rally venue, which reportedly had a capacity of only 10,000. Officials also noted that security guidelines were violated, with inadequate arrangements for food and drinking water.
In connection with the stampede, three members of Vijay’s party have been booked. However, no FIR has been filed against Vijay himself.
The tragic event has sparked widespread discussions about crowd management and safety measures at large public gatherings.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/it-was-not-intentional-kantara-star-rishab-shetty-reacts-to-death-of-over-40-people-in-vijays-karur-rally-stampede
