Blame game begins as Vijay's Karur rally stampede toll rises to 40

A day after the stampede at actor-politician Vijay's campaign rally at Velusamypuram in Karur, located 82km from Tiruchy, the death toll rose to 40 with the death of a 17-year-old boy on Sunday. Of the deceased, 17 were women and 10 were children, the youngest being only two years old. The bodies were released to the families and laid to rest.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

Before the dust settled, the opposition parties, AIADMK and BJP, questioned the Tamil Nadu police and Karur administration, alleging more police should have been posted at the spot given the crowds that throng the rallies of Vijay, Kollywood's biggest superstar, and president of the fledgling TVK. While Chief Minister M K Stalin visited the survivors and bereaved at the Karur Medical College Hospital in the wee hours of Sunday, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin visited later in the day, both opting not to “talk politics”. Vijay, who returned