Vijay's TVK Not a Recognised Political Party: Election Commission Tells Madras High Court in Karur Stampede Case

Chennai: The Election Commission of India on Friday told the Madras High Court that actor Vijay's TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) is not a recognised political party.

Madras High Court Hearing on Karur Stampede and TVK

On a recent date, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by C. Selvakumar came up for hearing before the Madras High Court's First Bench, comprising Chief Justice M. M. Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan.

This petition sought, among other things, the derecognition of actor Vijay's political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

Background

The prayer for TVK's derecognition was a direct result of the September 27 Karur stampede at a TVK rally, which was attended by Vijay and tragically resulted in 41 fatalities.

The original petition was filed in the Madurai Bench but was transferred to the First Bench because the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) was the first respondent.

Election Commission's Stance

Niranjan Rajagopal, counsel for the Election Commission of India (ECI), submitted to the court that TVK is not a recognised political party.

Consequently, Rajagopal argued that the petition's prayer to "derecognize" the party does not stand, as TVK is not a recognised entity in the first place.

High Court's Directions and Observations

Handling of Stampede Cases: The Bench directed the High Court Registry to place all matters related to the September 27 Karur stampede before the administrative side of the court. The purpose is to constitute a special bench to deal with these cases, excluding any that are already pending before the Supreme Court.

FIR Alteration against Vijay: The court noted that the request to alter the FIR (First Information Report) against Vijay would be effectively addressed by the Supreme Court's order that had directed a CBI probe into the stampede.

Petitioner's Other Demands

The PIL also sought directions for the ECI and TVK on several points:

Enforcement of ECI Directive: Direct the ECI to strictly enforce its February 5, 2024, directive prohibiting the use of children and women in political rallies and campaigns.

Mandatory Undertaking: Direct all recognised political parties to mandatorily submit an undertaking to adhere to this prohibition, with the ECI taking action, including derecognition, for failure to comply.

Liability and Compensation: Seek a direction to fix liability on the TVK leadership for allegedly mobilising women and minor children unlawfully, which led to mass casualties.

Compensation: Seek a direction for TVK to pay substantial compensation, specifically a minimum of Rs 1 crore per deceased and proportionate relief for injured persons.

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