Finalise SOPs for rallies by Jan 5, HC directs TN

THe Madras heights margaret court on fri directed the Tamil Nadu regime to occupy a “final call” on objections and modifications suggested by political parties to the draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for regulating large political gatherings, and to notify the final SOP by January 5, 2026.The bench of chief justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and justice G Arul Murugan declined to interfere with the 47-page draft SOP submitted before it and said that any judicially mandated changes could “prejudice future legal challenges” to the final framework.The court instead asked the state to independently evaluate every suggestion and objection placed on record and arrive at a reasoned decision.“Having gone through the affidavit filed by the state; the draft SOP and the suggestions/objections which are placed before this court, and after pondering upon the submissions of learned counsel for the respective parties, we are of the view that the state should take a decision, one way or the other, on the suggestions/ objections submitted before this court in writing, after affidavit was filed by the state government,” the high court said.The court issued the directions while pronouncing its verdict on a batch of petitions that were filed by several political parties and individuals in the aftermath of a stampede which took place during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay’s rally in Karur on September 27. The incident claimed the lives of 41 people and injured several others. The high court had subsequently questioned the absence of a uniform regulatory framework for political rallies and roadshows in the state.TVK had initially approached the high court complaining that Tamil Nadu Police imposed onerous and discriminatory conditions on its campaigns while granting permissions to other political parties with relative ease. While the petition remained pending, another batch of public interest litigations seeking comprehensive rules to regulate political meetings, processions, protests, and roadshows.During the previous hearings, the state had assured the court that it would not grant permission for any political party’s public meetings until it framed an SOP.The government had then prepared a draft SOP applicable to public gatherings with an expected turnout of more than 5,000 people. The proposed framework sought to fix accountability on organisers and introduce penalties for violations of police-imposed conditions.In an affidavit filed through home secretary Dheeraj Kumar, the state had informed the court that district collectors will be empowered to initiate proceedings to recover damages to public and private property based on post-event reports submitted by the police. The state had said the authorities will invoke the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992, in addition to launching criminal prosecution wherever warranted.The draft SOP, however, had drawn objections from several political parties. The AIADMK had moved court through senior counsel Vijay Narayan and had opposed the exemption granted to religious gatherings conducted as customary events or at traditionally fixed venues. The party had insisted that the SOP must apply uniformly to religious and political events alike.The AIADMK had also challenged provisions that effectively pushed organisers to hold events only at designated venues. It had argued that organisers must retain the right to choose alternative venues of their preference and not face compulsion merely because a designated venue could accommodate larger crowds. The party had further objected to a clause requiring prior permission from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state highways department, contending that intimation to those authorities should suffice and that the police alone must decide on permissions within a fixed three-day window.TVK and Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi, too, had filed objections and placed their own sets of suggestions before the court, including concerns over discretionary policing and procedural delays.Recording these submissions, the bench noted that a large number of written suggestions and objections reached the court even after the state filed its affidavit. It then directed the state to consider all suggestions and objections and notify the SOPs.“A decision on the suggestions/objections/views/inputs shall be taken by the Government and the finalised SOP shall be notified as early as possible and in any case not later than 5.1.2026,” the court said.