CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu government to frame the draft standard operating procedure (SOP) within ten days for regulating road shows and public meetings of political parties aimed at preventing Karur Stampede like situations.
The first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan issued the direction while hearing the petitions relating to the September 27 Karur Stampede occurred during the road show of TVK founder and actor Vijay that snuffed out the lives of 41 persons.
The court also said that it would issue an interim SOP if the state failed to come out with the SOP as per its undertaking in the court. “Considering the submissions made by the counsels for the parties in the petitions, the matter relates to laying down certain guidelines. We direct the state to ensure its submission (on framing SOP) before the court within a period of ten days,” the bench said in the order.
The court also said the other parties to the petitions shall submit their submissions on the issue of framing of SOP.
The bench stated that its order shall not be considered as an impediment in considering the applications, if filed, by political parties for holding public meetings except on the national and state highways.
The court also said permissions for political events shall be granted before a few days of the date when the events are planned so that the concerned parties can make arrangements and mobilise resources to comply with the conditions imposed for the conduct of the meetings.
Police haven't granted permission well in advance in Karur: TVK
The first bench of the Madras HC took up all the petitions filed relating to the Karur Stampede including a writ petition filed by the TVK seeking to relax the conditions for the road shows of Vijay and the ones seeking framing of SOP to regulate public events of political parties that attract huge gathering of people.
The court also allowed the AIADMK to intervene in the case relating to framing of SOP, as requested by senior counsel Vijay Narayan, so that the party can submit suggestions on the matter.
The court dismissed an anticipatory bail application filed by TVK general secretary N Anand. It has also disposed another petition filed by BJP councillor Uma Anandan, seeking CBI probe into the Karur tragedy, stating that the court is not inclined to proceed with the petition since the Supreme Court has already ordered probe by the Central agency.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General J Ravindran, representing the state, submitted that the state was in the process of drafting the SOP as per the court’s earlier directions and it may take some time to finalise it since several stakeholders are to be consulted.
He said a false narrative and bald allegations are being made against the state government.
The AAG stated that application for permission was submitted only on September 25 for the September 27 event.
Senior counsel V Raghavachari, appearing for TVK, said nothing could have happened in Karur if the police had granted permission well in advance. He told the court the party could not mobilise the resources and form committees to manage the event as permission was given a day before the event.
He also said one party was imposed with eleven conditions; another party was imposed no conditions; but TVK was slapped with 23 conditions.
