Puducherry: There was a bit of tension at a rally to be attended by actor-cum-politician Vijay in Puducherry on Tuesday after a man attempted to enter the venue with a gun. He was stopped by security personnel.
The Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) rally is being held at the Expo Ground under tight security. This is TVK founder Vijay’s first public meeting since the Karur stampede that killed 41 people.
The person who caused the security breach was identified as David, a guard for Prabhu, the Sivagangai district Secretary of the party, as reported by India Today.
Authorities are taking no chances after the Karur incident and the Puducherry Pol
ice issued a detailed advisory laying down strict safety and crowd control measures ahead of the event.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) R Kalaivanan has been quoted as saying that attendance was strictly limited to 5,000 people, as requested by TVK.
Residents of neighbouring Tamil Nadu have also not been allowed to attend the rally. The police asked them not to travel to Puducherry to avoid inconvenience. Entry has also been denied to children, pregnant women and elderly persons as part of safety restrictions.
Only individuals with a valid QR code pass issued by the party were allowed inside the venue. Parking was permitted at designated locations including the Puducherry Marina, the rear side of the sports stadium and the old port area.
Organisers were directed to arrange drinking water, toilet facilities, ambulances, first aid medical teams, fire engines and proper enclosures at the venue.
Earlier, the police had denied permission for a road show, allowing only the public meeting to be conducted under strict conditions.