After going silent for weeks in the aftermath of the tragic stampede in Karur in September, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is planning to resume its campaign programmes with actor-politician Vijay's rally in Salem next month. The party has reportedly sought permission from Salem City police to conduct a rally in the city on December 4.
According to reports, during a recent meeting of senior functionaries of TVK, the leaders have urged Vijay to resume his political campaigns. The functionaries have reportedly suggested the actor to resume from Salem in western Tamil Nadu, where the actor-politician reportedly has a huge base.
The newly launched political party has reportedly sought permission to conduct rallies at one of these four places: Jawahar Mill ground, Bose maidan near old bus stand, Fort maidan in the city, and at a private ground near the highway in Selanaikenpatti, Salem.
While all these venues are regular spots for political campaigns in Salem, when it comes to Thalapathy Vijay's rallies, crowd management still continues to boggle authorities, as the state administration faced flak from the Supreme Court over the tragedy in Karur, during Vijay's rally in September.
The Salem City police is unlikely to grant permission for the rally at Fort maidan or the Bose maidan, both located within the city. Located near the district collectorate and the Salem City Corporation office, at Kottai maidan, a wide road is often blocked, diverting traffic, to conduct public meetings. The Salem Government Hospital is also located only a few metres away from the venue. Besides TVK cadres, if the public crowd to catch a glimpse of Vijay, like in Karur, it could pose a severe traffic and security challenge for the district administration.
Similarly, at Bose Maidan, located close to the old bus stand area in Salem, the venue is located in the heart of Salem city and close to one of the busiest commercial streets in the city. Arranging a safe route for Vijay to reach the venue itself would be a huge challenge for the police.
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With Jawahar Mill grounds and a private ground near Selanaikenpatti junction, both are located adjacent to major highways. Jawahar Mills ground is located close to the Kochi-Bengaluru highway, and this passes through Salem city. Though a private premise with perimeter walls, traffic block is likely if Vijay's rally is held here.
Likewise, in Selanaickenpatti, located on the Salem-Chennai highway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have conducted rallies here in the past. However, it will be a challenge for the police to ensure the crowd does not spill over to the highway and block traffic movement.
As many as 41 people died and over 50 people suffered injuries in a stampede during Vijay's campaign in Karur on September 27. The deceased include 10 children and over 15 women. The Supreme Court has ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation to unearth the cause of the tragedy. Political observers blamed poor crowd management by the TVK for the tragedy, while the Opposition targeted the ruling DMK for not providing necessary security for the event. |
