The Tamil Nadu government today began consultations with political parties to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for political rallies and public events, following the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives during a TVK rally in September.
Senior ministers K N Nehru (Municipal Administration), S Regupathy (Law) and Ma Subramanian (Health) presided over the meeting, which was steered by the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary. Representatives from legislature and parliamentary parties participated in the discussions.
From the ruling DMK, organising secretary R S Bharathi represents the party. The key opposition AIADMK has deputed former minister D Jayakumar and Rajya Sabha MP I S Inbadurai. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai is also present.
The consultations follow the Madras High Court's directive to the state to submit a draft SOP before the next hearing. The Supreme Court has separately ordered a CBI probe into the stampede, monitored by a panel led by a retired Supreme Court judge.
The TVK, which had earlier moved the court seeking uniform guidelines for all political parties, has claimed that authorities had imposed impractical and unprecedented restrictions on its rallies. At its special council meeting yesterday, party chief Vijay said he was asked not to step out of his campaign bus or even wave to supporters.
Chief Minister M K Stalin had said after the tragedy that the guidelines-being prepared in consultation with political parties-would become a model for the country to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
With Tamil Nadu heading to polls in 2026, the proposed SOP is expected to significantly influence how political campaigns and mass gatherings are conducted across the state.
