PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry police has permitted TVK to hold its public meeting at the Expo Ground, Uppalam, on Tuesday, with attendance capped at 5,000.
Two months after the Karur stampede which left 41 people dead, TVK is conducting a public meeting and Vijay will be addressing the gathering from a campaign vehicle instead of a stage. The campaign vehicle will reach Puducherry on Monday night. He is expected to arrive at the venue by car around 11 am. Permission for the meeting has been granted from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and he is expected to speak around 12 pm.
In a public advisory issued on Sunday, Senior Superintendent of Police (Law & Order) R Kalaivanan said permission has been granted “strictly for 5,000 people”. Entry would be allowed only to individuals carrying valid passes with QR codes issued by the party. “Persons without a valid QR-coded pass will not be allowed,” he said.
Children, pregnant women and elderly persons will not be permitted to attend the meeting. The event is meant exclusively for residents of Puducherry, as requested by the TVK, and those living in neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu have been asked not to travel to the venue.
Designated parking has been arranged at Pondy Marina Parking, Stadium Backside Parking and the Old Port area. “Parking on the roadside or inside the venue is strictly prohibited,” the SSP added.
Organisers have been instructed to provide drinking water, toilet facilities, ambulances, first-aid teams, fire engines, emergency exits, and enclosures at the venue.
Following the Karur tragedy, Vijay had met the families of the victims at Mahabalipuram and later addressed a closed-door meeting in Kancheepuram last month, where 2,000 people were permitted.
Party sources said, “There will be no stage for Vijay and no seats for attendees. He will speak from a campaign vehicle.”
QR-coded entry passes have been prepared and distributed to TVK district and branch units in Puducherry and Karaikal.