Chennai, Oct 5 (IANS) The police in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore have drafted a fresh set of regulations to control protests, public meetings, demonstrations, and processions, aiming to reduce traffic bottlenecks and inconvenience caused by large political gatherings.
The regulations were drafted following the stampede at Karur during cine star-turned-politician Vijay’s rally on September 27, which left 41 people dead and injured more than 60 others.
According to the new guidelines, political parties and organisations will be allowed to hold such events only at designated locations. These include Thernilai Thidal on Raja Street, the South Taluk Office on Husur Road, Sivananda Colony, Valliyammai Bakery at Ukkadam, and the Kamaraj Nagar Junction at Sundarapuram.
The move, officials said, is intended to bring order to frequently congested areas and ensure public safety. A senior police officer said that participant numbers at these events would be capped depending on the size of each venue.
“When crowds exceed safe limits, it leads to severe congestion and disrupts normal life. The new rules have been framed to avoid such situations and have been submitted to the district administration for approval. The final decision will be taken after discussions with political parties,” the officer explained.
He added that sites would be assigned based on the scale and nature of the event. For example, venues like Thernilai Thidal, Kamaraj Nagar Junction, Lorry Pet at Ukkadam, Sivananda Colony, and Tatabad will be suitable for gatherings ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 people. Processions, meanwhile, have been limited to a 1.2 km stretch from Karumbukadai to Lorry Pet at Ukkadam.
However, the move has drawn mixed responses from political groups. District CPI(M) secretary C. Padmanabhan called the new restrictions impractical, especially the short route allotted for processions.
“We conducted an all-party meeting with representatives from the Congress, CPI(M), MDMK, and VCK to discuss these issues. Suggestions have been given, and we plan to meet with the district administration and the police to seek additional venues for protests and rallies,” he said.
In parallel, rural police have taken similar steps by identifying 36 protest spots, 23 venues for public meetings, 43 for street-corner gatherings, and seven for processions. Officials said the aim is to strike a balance between the right to peaceful assembly and maintaining public order, while political leaders have urged flexibility to accommodate democratic expression.
–IANS
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