Chennai, Oct 27 Amid growing concerns over the safety of political gatherings following the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives during actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s campaign on September 27, the Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu government to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) within 10 days for the conduct of political rallies and meetings across the state.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan issued the directive while hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by Vijay’s party, TVK, which had earlier challenged the “onerous and restrictive” conditions imposed by the police while granting permissions for political events.
Several other petitions filed after the Karur tragedy sought mandatory guidelines to regulate public gatherings and prevent such mishaps.
The Bench instructed Additional Advocate General (AAG) J. Ravindran to submit the draft SOP before the court by November 11.
It cautioned 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 prior to an event, with the police mandated to decide on them three days before the scheduled date.
Senior counsel V. Raghavachari, appearing for TVK, argued that the lack of timely approvals was one of the major reasons for chaos during political campaigns. He claimed that the permission for the September 27 Karur rally was issued barely a day before the event, leaving little time for organisers to make safety arrangements.
Denying the allegation, the AAG said TVK had initially planned the event for December but suddenly advanced the date, filing its application on September 25. He contended that the party’s last-minute decision left authorities with minimal time to prepare.
Chief Justice Shrivastava observed that the state must handle such matters sensitively, noting that “allegations will always be directed against the government in power”.
He emphasised that political parties must apply for permissions well in advance, and the police should act on them within a reasonable timeframe. Though the court initially considered granting only a week, 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 counsel Vijay Narayan informed the Bench that the AIADMK had filed an impleading petition seeking to be made a respondent in the TVK case to offer its own suggestions on the regulation of rallies.
The Bench said it would take up the petition later this week. The court also permitted TVK general secretary N. Anand, alias “Bussy” Anand, to withdraw his anticipatory bail plea in the culpable homicide case related to the Karur stampede.
The Bench adjourned further hearings, observing that the formulation of a comprehensive SOP was critical to ensure that “no political event in Tamil Nadu ever again ends in tragedy”.
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