Who Is Suraj? Man Dies Of Suspected Heart Attack In Vijay's Salem Rally; Probe Underway

A stampede-like situation reportedly unfolded during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Salem on Friday, where a 37-year-old man is suspected to have died after suffering a heart attack.

In a separate development, an unidentified body was also discovered close to the meeting venue, though it remains unclear whether heat or any other factor led to that death. Police have launched an inquiry into both developments.

Spectator Collapses Amid Rush At Venue

Salem police officials confirmed the identity of the deceased and outlined the sequence of events. "A 37-year-old man from Maharashtra died after reportedly suffering a heart attack during a political meeting held in Salem today. The deceased has been identified as Suraj (37), a native of Maharashtra," officials told news agency ANI.

They added, "He had been residing in the Sevvaipettai area of Salem, where he was engaged in silver-related labour work. He was married and is survived by his wife and a child. According to sources, he had attended the TVK public meeting organised for party administrators as a spectator. During the event, he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed for medical assistance, but was declared dead, reportedly due to a heart attack. Police are conducting further inquiries into the incident."

Fresh Safety Concerns After Karur Tragedy

The latest incident comes months after a stampede at a rally addressed by Vijay in Karur resulted in nearly 40 fatalities, prompting renewed attention on crowd control and safety measures at large political gatherings.

Vijay Appeals For Votes, Targets Rivals

Addressing supporters in Salem, Vijay urged voters to back the party's "whistle" symbol in the upcoming state elections. He also told people not to decline money offered by rival parties while encouraging them to ultimately choose TVK.

Without naming the ruling DMK and the principal opposition AIADMK, Vijay criticised alliance politics and said he is not like "those who depend on allies".

"For the DMK, alliance is only to win; and for all other things, such as governance, they will be on their own," he said.