Tamil Nadu police on Sunday said the leadership of Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), defied official directives at the Karur rally -- where a stampede on Saturday claimed 40 lives -- and went ahead with the massive gathering.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Davidson Devasirvatham countered the party’s claim that stone-pelting triggered the stampede , clarifying that no such incident had occurred.

Addressing a press conference, ADGP Davidson said the event had been delayed, and people from Namakkal, where another of Vijay’s rallies was scheduled, also converged on Karur, resulting in an overwhelming crowd that was difficult to control. He added that permission had been sought for a gathering of 12,000 people, and sufficient police personnel had been deployed

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