Chennai, Feb 8 : The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has accused the Tamil Nadu government of enforcing a discriminatory Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for political meetings, alleging that the guidelines unfairly disadvantage emerging parties while favouring established ones.
In a statement, TVK propaganda General Secretary K.G. Arunraj said the party had repeatedly faced hurdles in securing permission to conduct public gatherings, including its proposed public meeting in Salem.
He claimed that the authorities were selectively applying the SOP to restrict the party’s political outreach activities.
According to the statement, the party had submitted an application seeking permission to hold a public meeting in Vellore on February 8. However, the request was rejected within days on the grounds that a programme involving the Chief Minister had already been scheduled at the same venue.
Arunraj described the decision as arbitrary and said it reflected a pattern of discrimination against the party.
He asserted that the SOP gives “priority to recognised political parties”, effectively sidelining newer political movements like TVK. Such provisions, he said, undermine the democratic principle of equal opportunity for all parties to engage with the public.
Despite the denial of permission, the party indicated that it was exploring alternative arrangements to ensure its leader could meet supporters.
The statement further criticised what it termed the shifting of administrative responsibilities onto organisers. Arunraj alleged that the government and police were requiring political parties to take sole responsibility not only for the event venue but also for maintaining order in surrounding areas, a duty traditionally managed by law enforcement agencies.
Calling the guidelines excessive and impractical, he also objected to the requirement that parties must seek permission 30 days in advance if a gathering is expected to attract more than 50,000 participants.
He argued that such conditions restrict spontaneous political mobilisation and place an unreasonable burden on parties.
TVK maintained that the SOP was framed specifically to curb its growth and prevent its leadership from directly interacting with the public. The party urged the state government to revise the regulations and ensure a level playing field for all political organisations, warning that continued restrictions would be viewed as an attempt to stifle democratic expression.
–IANS
