Man faints, dies at TVK rally in TN's Salem

A 37-year-old man fainted at a TVK rally here on Friday addressed by party chief Vijay and died on the way to hospital, police said. The man, identified as Suraj, a native of Maharashtra and residing here, collapsed after complaining of chest pain, and was immediately rushed to a local hospital. ''He was declared brought dead at the medical facility,'' a police official said. He also claimed that Suraj had undergone angioplasty sometime ago. The police have registered a case and are investigating. According to the police, the man had gone to see Vijay. He complained of uneasiness while waiting at the rally venue and fainted. Those near him initially attempted to revive Suraj, but later rushed him in an ambulance to a private hospital. However, the doctors who examined him said he was brought dead. Police claimed that the incident happened even before Vijay arrived for the district functionaries' meeting. Preliminary enquiry by a team from the Annadhanapatti police who arrived at the hospital revealed that Suraj was a heart patient and underwent a procedure. This is the first casualty at the TVK rally since the tragic September 27, 2025, stampede in Karur that claimed 41 lives. Flaying the TVK for the incident, BJP youth wing leader Vinoj P Selvam said it only proved the concern that the party leader had for the safety of his cadres. ''It would not have mattered if it happened inadvertently for the first time. But the mistake is recurring,'' he said in a post on the social media platform 'X.' DMK spokesperson A Saravanan on 'X' wondered how many more lives would be lost before the Assembly election are held. He claimed that no arrangements were made by the TVK to provide shelter or drinking water at the rally. A source in the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam said the party had already appealed to its cadres and also members of the public who are sick to refrain from attending the meeting.