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Chennai: Amid growing concerns over the safety of political gatherings after 41 people lost their lives in a stampede in Karur during actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s campaign on September 27, the Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu government to prepare within 10 days a standard operating procedure (SOP) for conducting political rallies and meetings across the state.
Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava and Justice G. A division bench of Arul Murugan issued the direction while hearing several petitions, including one filed by Vijay’s party, TVK, challenging the “onerous and restrictive” conditions imposed by the police while granting permission for political events earlier.
Several other petitions filed after the Karur tragedy sought mandatory guidelines to regulate public gatherings and prevent such accidents.
The division bench asked Additional Advocate General (AAG) J. Raveendran was directed to submit the draft SOP before the court by November 11.
It warned that if the government failed to do so, the court itself would order that all political parties submit applications for permission at least 10 days before any event, and it would be mandatory for the police to take a decision on them three days before the scheduled date.
Senior advocate V. Raghavachari, appearing for TVK, argued that lack of timely clearance was a major cause of chaos during political campaigns. He claimed that the permission for the September 27 Karur rally was issued barely a day before the event, giving organizers little time to make security arrangements.
Denying the allegation, the AAG said that TVK had initially planned the event for December, but suddenly pushed the date forward and filed its application on September 25. He argued that the party’s last-minute decision gave officials minimal time to prepare.
Chief Justice Srivastava said the state should handle such cases sensitively, noting that “allegations will always be leveled against the government in power”.
He stressed that political parties should apply for permission in advance and the police should act on them within a reasonable time frame. Although the court had initially considered giving only a week’s time, it extended the deadline to 10 days after the state cited the need to consult multiple departments, including police, civic bodies, fire and health services.
Meanwhile, senior advocate Vijay Narayan informed the bench that the AIADMK has filed a party petition seeking to be made a respondent in the TVK case to give its suggestions on the regulation of rallies.
The bench said it would hear the petition later this week. The court heard TVK general secretary N. Anand alias “Bussi” Anand was also allowed to withdraw his anticipatory bail plea in the culpable homicide case related to the Karur stampede.
The bench adjourned further hearing, noting that the formulation of a comprehensive SOP was important to ensure that “no political incident in Tamil Nadu ever again ends in tragedy”.
–IANS