Chennai, Oct 27 (NationPress) In light of rising apprehensions regarding the safety of political gatherings, especially after the tragic Karur stampede that took the lives of 41 individuals during actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s campaign on September 27, the Madras High Court has mandated the Tamil Nadu government to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) within 10 days for organizing political rallies and meetings throughout the state.

A Division Bench, consisting of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, issued this order while considering a series of petitions, including one from Vijay’s party, TVK, which previously contested the “onerous and restrictive” regulations imposed by the police when granting permissions for political events.

Moreover, several other petitions filed subsequent to the Karur incident demanded obligatory guidelines to oversee public gatherings and avert such disasters.

The Bench instructed Additional Advocate General (AAG) J. Ravindran to present the draft SOP to the court by November 11.

It warned that should the government neglect this directive, the court would require all political parties to submit permission applications at least 10 days prior to any event, with the police required to make decisions three days ahead of the scheduled date.

Senior counsel V. Raghavachari, representing TVK, stated that the delay in obtaining approvals significantly contributed to disorder during political campaigns. He noted that permission for the September 27 Karur rally was granted just one day before the event, leaving scant time for organizers to implement safety measures.

Countering this assertion, the AAG claimed that TVK had initially scheduled the event for December but unexpectedly moved the date up, submitting its application on September 25. He argued that the party’s last-minute change provided authorities very little time to prepare.

Chief Justice Shrivastava remarked that the state must approach such matters with care, emphasizing that “allegations will always be directed against the government in power.”

He stressed the necessity for political parties to request permissions well in advance, and for the police to respond to these requests in a timely manner. While the court initially contemplated a one-week deadline, it extended it to 10 days after the state cited the need to consult various departments, including police, civic bodies, fire, and health services.

In the meantime, senior counsel Vijay Narayan informed the Bench that the AIADMK had filed an impleading petition to become a respondent in the TVK case, intending to provide its own recommendations on rally regulations.

The Bench stated it would address the petition later in the week. The court also allowed TVK general secretary N. Anand, known as “Bussy” Anand, to retract his anticipatory bail request in the culpable homicide case related to the Karur stampede.

The Bench concluded further hearings, noting that establishing a comprehensive SOP is vital to ensure that “no political event in Tamil Nadu ever again ends in tragedy.”