Chennai, Oct 6 : AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS)on Monday blamed the DMK government for the stampede at actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur on September 27 that claimed 41 lives and injured over 60 people.

In a strongly worded statement, EPS said eyewitness testimonies and detailed media reports leave no doubt that the tragedy was caused by administrative failure and political negligence.

'If the government had taken proper precautions and handled the event responsibly, these deaths could have been avoided,' he said.

Palaniswami raised a series of pointed questions to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the Home Department.

He questioned the decision to allow an uncontrolled inflow of people into an already congested area, despite the event running late.

'Basic safety and emergency protocols were ignored. Victims said there was a power cut that triggered panic. Why was there no power backup? Did the police and district administration conduct any security review or plan crowd control, medical aid and evacuation routes'? he asked.

He was sharply critical of the police response, citing eyewitness videos that show inadequate deployment and slow reaction as the crowd swelled for hours.

'Why did the police simply stand by from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. as the situation worsened? Who gave them orders not to intervene'? EPS asked, pointing out inconsistencies in the official version.

EPS also took aim at ADGP (Law & Order) S. Davidson Devasirvatham's claim that one police personnel was posted for every 20 attendees.

'The ADGP initially said 500 police were on duty, but later avoided giving an exact number. Visual evidence contradicts the claim of adequate presence,' he said.

Condemning the DMK government for trying to deflect blame, Palaniswami urged it to accept moral and administrative responsibility. 'These are not rumours -- they are the voices of survivors, eyewitnesses and even police personnel. They cannot be silenced or denied. These 41 lives were lost not to fate but to official apathy and negligence,' he said, demanding full accountability and a transparent probe into the lapses that led to the tragedy.

/IANS