Vijay: The Indian superstar at the centre of crush deaths row

At least 40 people died over the weekend in a crowd crush at a political rally organised by Vijay's party.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveThe Indian superstar whose political rally turned fatal for dozens1 day agoShareSaveSharanya Hrishikesh and Neyaz FarooqueeBBC News, DelhiShareSaveTVK/XVijay, one of the most bankable stars in Tamil cinema, launched his political party last yearAn Indian superstar-turned-politician is at the centre of a massive row after 40 people died in a crush at his party's rally on Saturday.

Tens of thousands of people turned up at the campaign event held by Vijay in Karur district in Tamil Nadu state. The actor was in the middle of his speech when the crowd surged suddenly.

The tragedy has sparked a blame game, with the opposition accusing government officials of not deploying enough police personnel to control crowds.

Police officials have said that the rally's organisers, who are from Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, underestimated the anticipated crowd size and did not take enough precautions.

With an acting career spanning decades, 51-year-old Vijay is one of the most popular actors in Tamil Nadu.