The Tamil Nadu government submitted draft guidelines for conducting roadshows and their public events at the Madras High Court on Friday. The draft was prepared following the tragic death of 41 people during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) political rally in Karur in September.
The guidelines have been framed for events where over 5,000 people are expected to attend. However, these guidelines will not apply to religious gatherings held at places of worship.
In the draft, the government has categorically said political parties and organisers are primarily responsible for the safety of the public participating in public meetings and roadshows. As per the draft, the district collector will convene a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties in the district and decide on venues for conducting public meetings, processions, roadshows, agitations, and protests in consultation with police.
As per the draft, officials from the Public Works Department must visit the venues and certify the maximum crowd that could be accommodated at the place. Organisers must apply to PWD for the necessary permissions.
For public meetings and roadshows along the national and state highways, permission from the concerned departments must be obtained at least 10 days ahead of the event.
While applying for permissions, organisers must specify details like date, time, purpose, expected number of participants, number of vehicles, and details of prominent leaders participating. For roadshows, the arrival and departure timings of the chief guests must be mentioned in the application. The draft also advises that political parties and organisers of such events must adhere to the permitted time slots.
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The draft also stipulates that the public should not be made to arrive at the venue two hours before the event. For events like party conferences, where more than 50,000 people are expected to gather, permission must be sought at least 30 days in advance. For sudden agitations and protests, a decision will be taken by the district collector. In Chennai, the city police commissioner has been given the authority to decide.
However, the draft specifies that during elections, the guidelines mentioned by the Election Commission will be applicable. The high court will next hear the matter on November 27.
As many as 41 people died and over 50 people were injured during a rally organised by actor Vijay's TVK at Karur in September. Following the deadly mishap, the high court directed the state government to draft guidelines for such events. |
