On Thursday, September 18, 2025, the Madras High Court emphasized a critical need: the State must establish clear guidelines for collecting monetary deposits from political parties planning public gatherings. This measure aims to ensure that parties can be held responsible and penalized if their supporters cause damage to public property during such events.
Justice N. Sathish Kumar has instructed Additional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak to present a report by September 24, 2025. This report is expected to outline these new, non-discriminatory guidelines, which will apply universally to all political parties, organizations, and associations hosting public events.
This interim order comes after the Additional Public Prosecutor submitted photographic evidence of significant damage to public property. This damage occurred on September 13, when a massive crowd gathered in Tiruchi for a campaign event hosted by actor Vijay’s political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The court considered these images while hearing a criminal writ petition filed by the TVK. The party alleged that the police were imposing “practically impossible and overly burdensome conditions” whenever they requested permission for their leader’s campaigns, claiming other political parties did not face similar restrictions. Senior counsel V. Raghavachari highlighted that the Tiruchi police had stipulated as many as 23 conditions for Mr. Vijay’s campaign, including one that bizarrely prohibited pregnant women, the elderly, and disabled individuals from attending. He questioned how any party could enforce such an exclusion.
TVK: A Strong Democratic Force
In court, the TVK’s Deputy General Secretary, C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar, also presented a detailed affidavit. It asserted that TVK is a registered political party firmly rooted in ‘secular social justice,’ upholding principles like secularism, social equality, inclusive representation, linguistic harmony, democratic values, and the two-language policy.
He further claimed that the TVK founder’s vision and policies have attracted millions, especially women, youth, and students, leading to the party’s swift emergence as a formidable democratic power and one of the largest political entities in the State.
The party lamented to the court that its “unprecedented growth” has been met with significant opposition from a powerful political family in Tamil Nadu, which, allegedly, cannot tolerate TVK’s rise and consistently tries to impede its democratic activities. As a result, TVK members often encounter “unwarranted difficulties” in obtaining necessary police permissions for political events, even when all legal prerequisites are met.
Police Permission Under Scrutiny
Regarding police permission, the party stated that its general secretary, ‘Bussy’ Anand (N. Anand), had submitted a request to the Tiruchi Commissioner of Police on September 6, 2025. This request sought permission for a peaceful campaign at police-approved venues on September 13, 2025, but it wasn’t processed within a reasonable timeframe.
Despite numerous follow-ups, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tiruchi (North), finally granted permission on September 10, 2025. However, the party argued that the conditions imposed were “arbitrary, burdensome, and unreasonable,” effectively undermining the entire purpose of the campaign.
Nonetheless, Mr. Vijay proceeded with his Tiruchi campaign on September 13, 2025, drawing a massive crowd. The party asserted that the event was conducted peacefully and in strict accordance with police conditions. Despite this proven track record, the TVK alleged that state police continue to apply “discriminatory and onerous” conditions specifically to their party, while being more lenient with others.
The party further contended that leaders of both the ruling and other opposition parties frequently hold roadshows, rallies, and public meetings at their preferred locations without facing such stringent conditions. In sharp contrast, the TVK stated that every time it applies for permission to hold meetings in police-designated areas, it is consistently met with “burdensome and impractical” requirements.
To bolster its case, the TVK presented the court with a copy of a permit issued to another political party, which included significantly more relaxed conditions. This, the party argued, clearly demonstrated that the true intent behind the restrictions placed on them was to hinder TVK’s political campaigns at the direction of the ruling administration.
Therefore, the TVK requested the court to direct the Director-General of Police and Head of Police Force to instruct all subordinates across the state to grant permission for Mr. Vijay’s campaigns, scheduled between September 20 and December 20, 2025, in a fair, consistent, and non-discriminatory fashion.