Madras High Court reserves orders on framing SOP for political rallies, meetings

The Madras High Court, connected Friday (November 28, 2025), reserved orders connected a batch of writ petitions related to formulation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to beryllium followed during governmental meetings, roadworthy shows and specified different ample gatherings to forestall mishaps specified as the Karur stampede at histrion Vijay’s TVK rally which claimed 41 lives connected September 27.

First Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan deferred their orders aft the Tamil Nadu authorities submitted an exhaustive draught SOP moving to 47-pages, and governmental parties specified arsenic AIADMK, TVK and Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi (DMSK) suggested modifications to beryllium incorporated earlier the notification of last SOP.

It was Justice N. Sathish Kumar who had archetypal mooted the thought of framing guidelines for governmental meets erstwhile TVK had approached the High Court connected September 18 complaining astir onerous conditions being imposed by the constabulary for its governmental campaigns. Taking enactment of harm caused to nationalist arsenic good backstage properties during specified meets, helium wanted the authorities to importune connected information deposits.

However, aft the Karur tragedy, the Supreme Court ordered that cases related to framing of guidelines/SOP for governmental meets indispensable beryllium heard lone by a Division Bench since the contented was successful nationalist interest. Subsequently, TVK’s petition, on with a fewer different cases, were taken up for proceeding by the archetypal Division Bench led by the Chief Justice and the authorities was directed to enactment fast.

Accordingly, the State authorities convened a gathering of each recognised governmental parties connected November 6, invited their suggestions for framing the SOP and submitted a archetypal draught earlier the High Court. The court, successful turn, directed the authorities to see the suggestions made by TVK arsenic good arsenic DMSK, which had not been invited for the meeting, excessively and submit a 2nd draft.

Pursuant to the submission of the 47-page 2nd draught connected November 21, elder counsel Vijay Narayan for AIADMK, elder counsel P.V. Balasubramaniam representing TVK and advocator A.P. Suryaprakasam for DMSK suggested further modifications to the draft. After proceeding them arsenic good arsenic Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran, the judges reserved their orders connected the issue.