India, Sept. 27 -- A rally by Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday, evening took a turn for the tragic after overcrowding triggered a stampede-like situation. A sudden crowd surge at the Karur rally caused at least 36 deaths and left around 40 people injured, after which social media saw demands for arresting him as terms like #arrestvijay started trending on X (formerly Twitter).

The incident, which has been called a "stampede-like crush" by the district administration, took place at Velusamypuram on the Karur-Erode highway, where thousands had gathered for Vijay's "Velicham Veliyeru" (Let There Be Light) campaign.

Vijay, 51, is one of Tamil cinema's biggest stars. Commonly known as "T...