Setback for Vijay: TVK chief booked under multiple sections for poll code violation

Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor-politician Vijay has been booked for allegedly violating the election code during his first campaign rally in Perambur on Monday, ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled for April 23.

Vijay was booked following a complaint made by an election official who alleged that the actor's campaign and the delay in his arrival caused the traffic congestion. According to sources, flying squad officer Kumar filed the complaint with video evidence. 

As per the complaint, Vijay used 30 speakers as against the numbers specified by the ECI, and his rally drew a crowd of over 5000 people. The complaint also stated that the convoy caused obstruction in the main pathway and blocked the movement of an ambulance, raising concerns of public safety. 

The Peravallur police booked Vijay under five sections, including public nuisance, unlawful assembly, and obstruction of public pathways. 

Earlier, CTR Nirmal Kumar, from Vijay’s party, had approached the Election Commission, saying that his leader had to leave the venue and stop his campaign abruptly due to security lapses and poor crowd management. 

Later, Aadhav Arjuna, the election management propaganda secretary of the TVK, in a press conference, alleged that the police refused to make the security arrangements on the instructions of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the DMK.

Aadhav said inadequate police deployment led to the traffic congestion in the Villivakkam constituency, where Aadhav Arjuna is contesting. He also said that poor crowd management made Vijay’s convoy stranded for a long time.