Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 29 (ANI): Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay on Wednesday announced the party's Special General Council Meeting to be held on November 5, at 10:00 am at the Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Hotel, to decide the future course of activities for the party in the aftermath of the Karur stampede, which killed 41 people.

'Since the situation on the ground gives us great encouragement, we must now take our next step with even greater care, deliberation, and foresight. In this context, we must deliberate on the next phase of the party's upcoming programs and activities. Therefore, to make decisions on these matters, we have resolved to convene a special general council meeting...' Vijay said in a statement.

TVK is gearing up to resume its party activities ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, likely to be held in 2026.

The actor turned politician acknowledged the 'silence' post the stampede in Karur during one of his rallies.

He noted that the party 'broke through' the period with the people's support.

'After a period of deep and meaningful silence in our political journey, this letter comes to you to speak with you and to invite you. Even when schemers and slanderers tried to belittle us and speak ill of us, we broke through all of it fearlessly. Now is the moment to rise and raise our voices for the people of our Mother Tamil Nadu,' the statement said.

Hailing people's support, Vijay took a jibe at his political opponents, accusing them of 'deceit and conspiracy.'

Vijay said in the statement, 'With the people of Tamil Nadu standing as our protective shield, no force can ever stop our victorious journey that continues as the voice of our people and the bond that connects us with them. We need not even say this for over the past month, the people of Tamil Nadu themselves have silently borne witness to this truth before the world. Even our adversaries, who dream of defeating us through deceit and conspiracy, have come to realise this.'

The stampede in Karur district occurred during a political rally held by TVK chief Vijay on September 27 this year.

Earlier today, a fact-finding team formed by the All India Democratic Women's Association said in its report that the main reason for the Karur stampede was Vijay's delay in reaching the rally site.

The report also recommended that the ex-gratia amount to the affected families should be collected from the TVK. The report will be submitted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the stampede.

'We should see this stampede as a violation of human rights. The main reason for the stampede is Vijay's delay in reaching the rally site. Most people only wanted to catch a glimpse of Vijay, not listen to his speech. It means this was only a fans' show, not a roadshow...We will submit our report to the CBI,' advocate U. Nirmala Rani, a member of the fact-finding team, told reporters.

'We request the government to provide employment to one member of each family which has lost a loved one. The ex-gratia amount to be given to the affected families should be collected from the TVK party. We suggest that the affected families receive grief counselling,' she said.

Meanwhile, in the backdrop of the tragedy, the Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu government to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) within 10 days for the conduct of political meetings and rallies in the state.

A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and NV Anjaria also ordered a three-member committee, headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the CBI probe and ensure that the investigation into the tragedy is independent and impartial. (ANI)