Tamil Nadu government to frame standard operating procedures for political events after recent stampede incident.
The Madras High Court has dismissed several petitions requesting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the stampede that occurred during actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam rally in Karur district, Tamil Nadu, which resulted in 41 fatalities. This decision was reported by Live Law on Friday.
Alongside the plea for a CBI investigation, another set of petitions was filed before the Madurai bench of the court, advocating for the establishment of standard operating procedures for political gatherings. Additionally, a group of petitioners sought increased compensation for the victims of the incident.
A division bench comprising Justices M Dhandapani and M Jothiraman addressed the public interest litigations regarding the standard operating procedures for political rallies. The court noted that the principal bench had already instructed the Tamil Nadu government to devise these guidelines. Consequently, the bench encouraged the petitioners to join the ongoing case in the principal bench instead of filing new petitions.
In a related development, the Tamil Nadu government informed the court that no political parties would be allowed to hold meetings in non-designated areas until the standard operating procedures are finalized. This measure aims to prevent any further incidents like the recent stampede.
The court acknowledged this submission but clarified that it would not impede public gatherings by political parties in designated areas. However, it emphasized the importance of ensuring adequate facilities, such as drinking water, toilets, and parking, at political events.
The tragic stampede took place on September 27 at Veluchamy Puram in Karur, shortly after 7:30 PM, as Vijay addressed a large crowd from his campaign vehicle. Reports indicate that many attendees fainted due to overcrowding. The rally, which was initially permitted for 10,000 attendees, saw an overwhelming turnout of over 25,000 people, leading to chaotic conditions.
During the event, Vijay’s speech was interrupted twice to accommodate ambulances that arrived to assist those who had collapsed in the crowd. Among the deceased were 18 women and nine children, highlighting the devastating impact of the incident.
In the aftermath, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party sought the court’s intervention for suo motu cognizance of the situation, asserting that there may have been conspiracies that contributed to the stampede. They called for either an independent investigation or a suo motu inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Amidst these developments, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for dispatching a fact-finding team to Karur following the stampede. He questioned the BJP’s commitment to addressing other significant incidents, such as the ethnic violence in Manipur and the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat, labeling their actions as politically motivated ahead of the 2026 elections.
In response to the situation, BJP chief JP Nadda announced that a delegation of MPs from the ruling National Democratic Alliance would visit Karur to investigate the circumstances leading to the stampede. The delegation included several prominent BJP members, as well as representatives from other parties.
