CHENNAI: With the arrangements made failing to keep up with the ‘unanticipated’ crowd that turned up for the Thamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam conference on Sunday, commotion ensued at the venue in Vikravandi.
Even as organisers claimed that arrangements were made for around two lakh people, almost half of the venue seating had been filled even by around 6 am. With the timings not made clear by the organisers, fans had trickled in from as early as Saturday midnight and they were allowed into the venue.
By 11 am, all five designated parking areas were filled, hours before the conference was set to begin. Latecomers parked along the national highway near the Vikravandi toll plaza, walking the remaining five kilometres to the venue.
Participants, most of whom fell into the 19-30 age bracket, said that the food and water arrangements were insufficient to meet the demand, with some already feeling lightheaded from dehydration and heat.
“They had begun distributing breakfast at only around 10 am although several people had arrived by 6 am and were allowed inside. Even after they began distribution, many did not receive breakfast. Now they have made arrangements for snacks and water bottles,” said one of the participants.
A section of people broke into the media gallery in order to have access to food packets and water bottles. The media gallery did not have space in order to accommodate even those for whom the passes were issued beforehand.
TVK functionaries that TNIE spoke to said that the crowd had not been mobilised by the party but had organically turned up to see Vijay, making it impossible to assess the numbers beforehand.