Chennai, Oct 15 (UNI) – The AIADMK, Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party, created a significant uproar in the State Assembly today over the tragic Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives during a political rally led by actor and TVK founder Vijay. The party staged a sit-in dharna in front of the Speaker's chair before staging a noisy walkout from the House. Following the Question Hour, several parties submitted notices to discuss the Karur tragedy. Speaker M. Appavu agreed to take up the matter, announcing that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would make an initial statement, followed by members’ speeches. However, AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami objected, insisting that as the principal opposition leader, he should be the first to address the issue before the Chief Minister's response. When the Speaker invited Mr. Stalin to begin, Mr. Palaniswami interrupted and prevented him from speaking. Chief Minister Stalin then outlined the government's immediate response to the incident, including dispatching senior ministers to Karur, mobilizing medical teams from neighboring districts, announcing compensation for victims’ families, and personally visiting the bereaved families and hospitalized victims to offer condolences and inquire about their treatment. As Mr. Palaniswami started criticizing the government for inadequate security arrangements during the Karur incident, Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar referenced the Tuticorin police firing against anti-sterlite protestors under the previous AIADMK administration. This remark drew strong protests from AIADMK members demanding the Chair to expunge the statement. Intervening, Mr. Stalin defended the Minister’s comments, stating there was no need for expunction. Unyielding, AIADMK members shouted slogans and disrupted proceedings, rushing to the well of the House and surrounding the Speaker's chair to press their demands. They staged a sit-in dharna, continuing their slogans and calls for the removal of the Minister’s remarks. Despite repeated appeals from Speaker Appavu to resume their seats, the AIADMK members remained defiant. When eviction seemed imminent, the opposition party, led by Mr. Palaniswami, conducted a loud walkout, denouncing the ruling DMK for the Karur tragedy. Responding later in the House, Chief Minister Stalin accused the AIADMK of orchestrating the disruption with a pre-planned motive. He claimed the party failed to form the large alliance it had been touting and was instead attempting an electoral partnership with Vijay’s TVK, using the incident to create political unrest. Mr. Stalin predicted that even if the AIADMK-TVK alliance materializes, it would not succeed, and voters would deliver a decisive verdict in the 2026 Assembly elections. He questioned the sincerity of AIADMK’s concern, suggesting the party would have shown little interest if its own cadres were not affected. Additionally, the Chief Minister attributed the stampede partly to Vijay’s late arrival at the rally, which resulted in people waiting for hours under the scorching sun without adequate food or water, exacerbating the situation.