Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 14 : After remaining closed for 17 days, the headquarters of Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) reopened on Tuesday in Panaiyur on the East Coast Road (ECR) here. The reopening marks the party's first major organisational activity since the tragic incident in Karur last month that claimed 41 lives.
The office was shut following the stampede on September 27 during a public outreach event in Karur, where TVK president and actor Vijay was campaigning. The incident led to widespread mourning and the suspension of all party-related events as a mark of respect to the victims.
According to party sources, TVK president Vijay is currently at his Pattinapakkam residence, where several key leaders, including Bussy Anand, Aadhav Arjun, CTR Nirmal Kumar, and Arun, have gathered for internal discussions. Meanwhile, district secretaries and office-bearers have assembled at the TVK headquarters as part of the party's first coordinated meeting since the tragedy.
Party insiders indicate that the reopening of the headquarters signals a gradual resumption of organisational activities. Members and supporters were seen arriving steadily throughout the day, expressing solidarity and discussing the way forward for the party.
The reopening also holds symbolic importance for TVK, as it attempts to regain momentum and reconnect with its cadre base after a period of silence and mourning.
Meanwhile, Gauri Subramanyam, counsel for TVK Chief and actor Vijay, welcomed the Supreme Court's order for a CBI probe into the Karur stampede.
Subramanyam emphasised full cooperation with the CBI, noting that the legal team had specifically requested an SIT led by a retired Supreme Court judge and was pleased with the decision.
"We are very grateful for the order. We are willing to render all cooperation with the CBI. They have also appointed a three-member SIT led by former Justice Rastogi and two Tamil Nadu cadre officers. We will cooperate in every single way possible. We had requested the SIT and that it be led by a retired Supreme Court judge. As the legal team, we are very happy," she said on Monday.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe into the Karur stampede. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria also ordered a three-member committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the CBI probe for a fair and impartial investigation into the tragedy.On September 27, during a rally organised by the Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur, a stampede occurred in which 41 people lost their lives and more than 100 sustained injuries.
Among the 41 deceased, 18 were women, 15 were men, five young girls, and five boys fell victim. While 34 victims were from the Karur district, two each from the Erode, Tiruppur, and Dindigul districts, and one from the Salem district.