Madurai: Senior AIADMK leader R.B. Udhayakumar on Sunday criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for granting government jobs to the family members of those who died in the 2025 Karur stampede during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally.
Describing the decision as a “betrayal,” Udhayakumar said the move was unfair to lakhs of young people who spend years preparing for competitive examinations in the hope of securing government employment.
Addressing reporters in Madurai, the AIADMK leader alleged that the appointments had been made by bypassing the normal recruitment process.
“Government jobs have been directly provided to the heirs of those who lost their lives in the stampede. This is a betrayal of lakhs of young people who wait for days, months and years to appear for competitive examinations and earn government jobs on merit,” he said.
Udhayakumar argued that while the government should provide adequate compensation and support to the bereaved families, direct appointments to government service could undermine equal opportunities for other job aspirants.
The Tamil Nadu government has maintained that the appointments were made as part of relief and rehabilitation measures for the families affected by the Karur stampede, which claimed 41 lives during the 2025 TVK rally.
