Erode SP inspects venue for Vijay’s Dec 18 public meeting; permission granted subject to conditions

Erode (Tamil Nadu), Dec 14 (IANS) Erode Superintendent of Police A. Sujatha on Sunday inspected the proposed venue near Tamil Nadu’s Vijayamangalam toll gate in Perundurai taluk, where Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay is scheduled to address a public meeting on December 18.

The inspection was carried out at Moongilpalayam village, where the meeting is planned on a 19-acre portion of a 31-acre land belonging to the Sri Vijayapuri Amman Temple. The land is under the administrative control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.

According to officials, the public meeting is proposed to be held between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. During the inspection, the SP reviewed the detailed blueprint submitted by the organisers, with particular focus on security and crowd management. Key aspects examined included entry and exit routes for Vijay’s convoy, designated points for crowd entry and assembly, barricading arrangements, emergency access routes, and overall law-and-order preparedness.

Arrangements for drinking water, temporary toilet facilities, vehicle parking, and crowd flow management were also assessed to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the event.

Senior police officers from the district accompanied the SP during the inspection, and discussions were held with the organisers to evaluate readiness, given the large turnout expected for the meeting.

The inspection followed a petition submitted last week by TVK’s high-level administrative committee chief coordinator, K.A. Sengottaiyan, to District Collector S. Kandasamy and the district police seeking permission to conduct the public meeting. Subsequently, the police issued a list of 84 conditions to be complied with before granting permission.

One of the key requirements was the submission of a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the HR&CE Department, as the venue land belongs to a temple under its control.

Sources said the TVK has since submitted the required NOC. Following Sunday’s inspection, the police granted permission for the meeting, subject to compliance with the stipulated conditions, and directed the organisers to deposit Rs 50,000 towards venue rent to the temple and another Rs 50,000 as a caution deposit.

TVK functionaries thanked the police and the HR&CE Department for granting permission and facilitating the event.

Earlier, Sengottaiyan had said the party was prepared to comply with all conditions imposed by the police and would approach the court if permission was denied.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, he said the conditions had been addressed and reiterated that the meeting would be held as scheduled on December 18.

aal/uk