CHENNAI: Political parties will be held responsible for ensuring the safety of the public during their meetings, processions and roadshows, said the final draft of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that the Tamil Nadu government submitted to the Madras High Court.
The draft SOP was prepared after petitions were filed seeking regulatory guidelines in the wake of the TVK rally stampede in Karur.
According to the draft that Additional Advocate General J Ravindran submitted before Chief Justice MM Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, the guidelines will apply to public meetings, processions, roadshows, demonstrations, protests and cultural or religious events that are expected to attract more than 5,000 participants.
Political parties and organisers will bear full responsibility for public safety, and must arrange first aid, ambulance, and other medical facilities. The permitted event timings must be strictly observed.
Organisers will also be liable to compensate for any damage caused to public or private property. The venue must be cleaned and restored after the event.
The Collector, in consultation with the police and ECI-recognised political parties, will identify and notify the locations that can host such events.
The organisers should submit an application specifying the date, time, purpose, expected crowd strength, vehicle count, and the details of key leaders who will attend.
For roadshows, the starting and concluding points, and the locations where the candidate will address the public must be specified.
If a programme is planned on National or State Highways, permission must also be secured from the concerned departments.
Applications must be filed at least 10 days in advance. For large events such as party conferences with more than 50,000 participants, permission must be sought 30 days ahead. For sudden protests or spontaneous demonstrations, the Collector or the Police Commissioner may grant permission.
Pregnant women, senior citizens, children, and persons with disabilities must not be made to stand for long hours, and all necessary facilities must be provided for their safety. Participants should not be allowed to assemble more than two hours before the event begins.
After TVK and Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi requested copies of the draft, the court directed the State to provide the document to them and the AIADMK, and adjourned the hearing to November 27.