TN: Parties responsible for public safety during events: SOP

CHENNAI: Political parties will be held responsible for ensuring the safety of the public during their meetings, processions and roadshows, said the final draft of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that the Tamil Nadu government submitted to the Madras High Court.

The draft SOP was prepared after petitions were filed seeking regulatory guidelines in the wake of the TVK rally stampede in Karur.

According to the draft that Additional Advocate General J Ravindran submitted before Chief Justice MM Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, the guidelines will apply to public meetings, processions, roadshows, demonstrations, protests and cultural or religious events that are expected to attract more than 5,000 participants.

Political parties and organisers will bear full responsibility fo