A 37-year-old man died of heatstroke at a rally organized by Tamil Nadu's Chief of Tamil Nadu, TVK, Vijay Vijay, in Salem. Police said Suraj, a resident of Maharashtra, collapsed after complaining of chest pains during the rally.

Suraj died on the way to the hospital in an unconscious state. He had been living in Salem for several years. Police said Suraj had recently undergone angioplasty. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway.

On September 27 last year, a stampede broke out during actor Vijay Vijay's rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The crowd suddenly went out of control, resulting in the deaths of 41 people and injuries to several others.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced on Friday that his government had deposited ₹5,000 into the bank accounts of 13.1 million women in the state under the Kalaignar Women's Rights Scheme.

Promised ₹2,000 per month if returned to power

Stalin said that ₹3,000 has already been disbursed for the February, March, and April installments. Additionally, ₹2,000 has been provided as a summer special package. This means that each beneficiary woman has received a total of ₹5,000.

The CM promised that if his party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), returns to power, the monthly assistance of ₹1,000 for women will be increased to ₹2,000.

He said that some people wanted to withhold funds from this scheme, citing the elections, but his government had already sent the money so that women would not face any problems.

BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan described Stalin's move as motivated by election fear and fever. Soundararajan said that the state government was unnecessarily blaming the central government.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly has a total of 234 seats, and elections are expected to be held in the first six months of this year. Stalin's party last won a majority in 2021.

AIADMK promises ₹2,000 pension

Ahead of the elections, the opposition AIADMK has promised to increase the pension for the elderly, widows, disabled, and transgender people from ₹1,200 to ₹2,000. It also promises to waive students' education loans, provide three free gas cylinders a year to ration card holders, and provide interest-free loans to women.

Financial assistance to women in other states -

West Bengal: The Lakshmi Bhandaar scheme was launched in 2021. Under this scheme, women received ₹500 per month. However, this amount has now been increased to ₹1,500 ahead of the assembly elections.

Madhya Pradesh: The Ladli Behna Yojana was launched before the 2023 assembly elections. Under this scheme, women received ₹1,000 per month. This amount has now been increased to ₹1,500.

Himachal Pradesh: The Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana was launched in 2023. Under this scheme, ₹1,500 is transferred to women's accounts every month.

Jharkhand: The Chief Minister Mainiyan Samman Yojana was launched in the state in August 2024. Under this scheme, women were given ₹1,000 per month. Before the 2024 assembly elections, Chief Minister Hemant Soren increased the amount to ₹2,500.

Kerala: The Stree Suraksha Yojana was launched on December 22, 2025. Under this scheme, women and transwomen will receive ₹1,000 per month. The scheme was implemented by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government ahead of the assembly elections.

The death toll from the stampede at actor Vijay's rally on Sunday has reached 40. These include 16 women and 10 children. 95 people are injured, and 51 are in the ICU. The death toll may rise further.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court will hear a petition today from a victim injured in the stampede. He demands that rallies by Vijay and his party, the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), be banned until the investigation into the incident is complete.

Meanwhile, the police have filed an FIR against TVK leaders. The party has appealed to the Madras High Court for an investigation into the matter. The party stated that the stampede was not an accident but a conspiracy.

Following the incident, the Home Ministry has requested a report from the state government. Actor Vijay posted a post from the party's X handle, writing, "I have no words to express my grief over what happened in Karur yesterday." I want to provide 20 lakh rupees to the families of the deceased and 2 lakh rupees to the injured.

Vijay's party preparing to contest the Tamil Nadu elections

Actually, actor Vijay formed TVK on February 2, 2024. He announced his intention to contest the 2026 assembly elections. Consequently, he is holding rallies across the state. A rally was held in Karur for this purpose. Permission was granted for 10,000 people, but a crowd of 50,000 gathered.

The reason for the crowd at the Karur rally...

The stampede was caused by taking a 60-foot-long campaign bus onto a 100-foot-wide crowded road. Instead of using another route, the organizers tried to cut through the crowd. This increased the pressure, causing people to fall. Eyewitnesses reported that the pressure became so intense that people, including children, began fainting, leading to a stampede.

Vijay paused his speech to appeal for calm, but it was too late. The crowd made it impossible for ambulances and volunteers to reach the victims immediately.

After the incident, Vijay neither met the injured nor offered any condolences, but instead flew directly to Chennai on a chartered flight. However, he wrote on X, "My heart is broken. I feel immense pain and sorrow."

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Supreme Court lawyer G.S. Mani has filed a complaint demanding an FIR against actor Vijay and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the stampede in Karur.