TVK Seeks Rally Permission in Salem Following Deadly Karur Stampede Incident

The Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has requested authorization to organize a public rally in Salem district on December 4, aiming to resume party leader and actor Vijay's statewide tour that was halted following the tragic stampede in Karur on September 27 that claimed 41 lives.

The Salem district secretary of TVK submitted a formal request to the Salem Police Commissioner on Tuesday, suggesting three potential venues: Bose Maidan, Fort Maidan, and a private location in the Seelanaickenpatty area.

The devastating incident at Velusamypuram in Karur district, which occurred when massive crowds gathered for TVK's political event, has prompted intense examination of how political rallies are conducted throughout Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil Nadu government is scheduled to present its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to the Madras High Court on Friday, developed in consultation with various political organizations to prevent similar tragedies. Previously, TVK approached the court seeking uniform regulations for rallies across all political parties, claiming that authorities were imposing "impractical and stringent conditions" specifically on their organization.

Salem police officials confirmed that the request is currently under consideration. Some authorities have noted that the proposed date coincides with the major festival at Thiruvannamalai temple, which requires police deployment from multiple districts. They also mentioned that the date falls near the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, traditionally a period requiring enhanced security measures.

The Karur tragedy investigation is now being conducted by the CBI, following the Supreme Court's direction for an inquiry overseen by a committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge.

Previously, Tamil Nadu Police attributed responsibility to TVK for the stampede, citing a "significant delay" in Vijay's arrival that caused crowd surge, along with inadequate food provisions that left attendees weakened and dehydrated. TVK has firmly denied these accusations, instead alleging that police failed to manage crowds as Vijay approached the venue, suggesting the incident was orchestrated by the ruling DMK party.