Frenzied fans test crowd-control measures

PUDUKKOTAI: Every surge in the crowd and every attempt by youngsters to climb over barricades set off alarm bells among police personnel deployed for Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's maiden visit to Pudukkottai on Monday. With memories of the horrific Karur stampede still fresh, the police were particularly cautious as thousands of excited fans and party cadres jostled for a glimpse of their leader, at times climbing atop shops and attempting to jump over one another.

Tension rose shortly before Vijay arrived at the bus stand for its inauguration. A group of youngsters attempted to climb atop shops and jump over one another, prompting repeated warnings from the police over loudspeakers. Additional personnel were rushed to the spot, while those positioned close to the crowd kept the youngsters under control until the Chief Minister left.

A senior police officer said the youngsters appeared to be students and that controlling their enthusiasm had been a major challenge.

"We feared the situation could have turned worse if the police had not intervened in time to prevent them from jumping over one another. We heaved a great sigh of relief when the event concluded smoothly," the officer said.

For the police personnel on the ground, ensuring the Chief Minister's visit passed without incident meant constantly watching the crowd, anticipating sudden surges, and preventing enthusiasm from becoming a safety threat.

Despite elaborate security arrangements and the deployment of around 2,500 police personnel across the district, managing the enthusiastic crowd proved a challenge. Police had to stay on their toes, repeatedly appealing to the crowd through loudspeakers and strengthening security at vulnerable spots to prevent a stampede-like situation.

The Chief Minister's visit was carefully planned so school timings would not be affected. However, colleges across Pudukkottai district were declared a holiday. The government programme, initially scheduled at the Armed Reserve Ground, was shifted at the eleventh hour to the Collectorate on the advice of the Intelligence Department.

Vijay, who arrived at Tiruchy airport and travelled by road to Pudukkottai, drew huge crowds along the convoy route. The last-minute venue change also drew large crowds to the new bus stand from early morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Chief Minister.

The narrow pathway opposite the bus stand, lined with shops, became a particularly challenging spot for the police. Despite additional barricades, the crowd kept swelling, with fans raising slogans and blowing whistles from the morning.