Karur visit: CM Vijay broke down in tears, says MP Jothimani

Congress MP Jothimani has described Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's visit to Karur on Friday (July 10) as one of the most emotional programmes she has attended, saying he broke down in tears while handing over compassionate job appointment orders to families of stampede victims.

In an exclusive chat with The Federal, Jothimani, who represents Karur in the Lok Sabha, said both the families receiving the orders and those on the dais struggled to hold back their emotions during the event.

Also read: Back in Karur, Vijay alleges police conspiracy for September 2025 stampede

"The people who received the orders broke down in tears because at the cost of what they are getting the order, some people have lost loved ones," Jothimani said, adding that families carry memories that "will never be erased from their minds."

'Chief Minister in tears'

She said the Chief Minister himself was unable to control his tears at several points during the programme, making it a difficult moment for everyone present on the dais.

"At some point in time, the Chief Minister himself broke down, and he couldn't control his tears," Jothimani said, calling it the most painful programme she has attended.

Delay draws criticism

Jothimani was asked about the roughly 10-month gap between the Karur tragedy and the Chief Minister's visit to the district, a delay that has drawn sustained criticism from Opposition parties. During a TVK election rally in Karur in September 2025, 41 people lost their lives during a stampede.

Also read: TN CM Vijay hands over govt job orders to 31 families of Karur stampede victims

She said TVK had "multiple times" explained why the party could not visit Karur immediately after the incident, and that Vijay had decided his first government programme as Chief Minister should be held in Karur itself.

She noted that his earlier trip to Trichy was to thank people after he resigned his seat, not a government or political programme, and that this visit marked his first opportunity to personally meet and support the affected families.

CBI probe concerns dismissed

On whether the job offers, made while the case remains under CBI investigation, could influence the probe, Jothimani rejected the suggestion outright.

She pointed out that an SIT inquiry was conducted first, with people testifying and their statements recorded, before the CBI probe was ordered and further testimonies were recorded.

"People have multiple times testified already. I don't think this will have any impact on the inquiry," she said, adding there was no reason for witnesses to alter their statements now.

INDIA Bloc question lingers

Asked about the possibility of DMK and TVK eventually joining the INDIA bloc, given the Chief Minister's sharp attacks on the DMK and former Chief Minister MK Stalin during his Karur speech, Jothimani said Opposition unity was about the country rather than individual parties.

She accused the Narendra Modi-led Union government of undermining democratic processes, and cited the attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra at her office in West Bengal as an example of what she called an attempt to intimidate opposition voices.

"This person, she is a woman, she is vociferous, she is honest, she is fighting for people. But these people are throwing eggs at her," Jothimani said, arguing that such incidents make it necessary for Opposition parties to rise above their state-level rivalries, even where alliances like Congress and CPM in Kerala remain implausible.

TVK still finding its feet

On why TVK has not yet formally joined the INDIA Bloc, Jothimani cautioned against reading it as the party going soft on the DMK or BJP.

She said TVK is a new party that needs time to settle down, understand policy and the state, and build a development narrative around the promises it has made to voters, before taking a call on wider political alignments.