'It was not intentional': Rishab Shetty on Vijay's rally stampede
What's the story
Kannada actor Rishab Shetty has reacted to the tragic stampede at a rally for Tamil actor-politician Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The incident, which took place on September 27, claimed the lives of 41 people and left over 60 injured. Speaking to NDTV, Shetty described the tragedy as a "collective mistake" instead of an individual one.
Collective mistake
'We do hero worship...': Shetty
When asked about the incident, Shetty said, "If we like a hero or his character, we do hero worship." "How can I comment on that? It's unfortunate when such accidents happen; around 40 people died there." He added that he doesn't think it was one person's mistake and called it a "collective mistake made by many." "Maybe it could have been controlled, that's why we call it an accident. It was not intentional."
Crowd management
Difficulties in managing large crowds
Shetty also highlighted the difficulty in managing large crowds. "We can easily blame the police or the government; they do have responsibility." "But sometimes they also face trouble controlling a mob," he said. The stampede occurred during Vijay's statewide political outreach for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with nearly 30,000 people reportedly gathering at a venue meant for 10,000.
Post-tragedy response
Vijay announces compensation for victims' families
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Vijay announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh for each victim's family and ₹2 lakh for the injured. He also connected with some of the affected families through a video call, offering his condolences and support. However, he has faced criticism from certain quarters for not visiting the affected families in person.