LONDON: Hundreds of fans gathered outside London's tallest building, The Shard, on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, but the event was called off after the Metropolitan Police intervened, citing safety concerns.
The cancellation left many fans, some of whom had queued for hours, disappointed.
“For public safety concerns, we are calling off the programme because we don't have permission due to safety concerns,” a member of the chief minister's team announced over a loudspeaker.
“I think it’s reasonable but all of these people have been waiting. This is hardly the kind of crowds we see in Tamil Nadu,” said a young fan who had been camped at the actor-turned-politician's hotel for hours.
Vijay is leading a state delegation to the UK to attract investments into Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, the Chief Minister's Office said the delegation had signed multiple memoranda of Understanding involving investments worth around Rs 12,300 crore during the visit.
The investment drive, aimed at positioning Tamil Nadu as Asia’s premier advanced manufacturing and technology hub, is expected to generate more than 9,400 high-value jobs across the state.
Vijay is scheduled to conclude his UK tour and return to India on Wednesday.