The Election Commission of India (ECI) informed the Madras High Court on Friday that top actor Vijay's TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) is not a recognised political party.
Niranjan Rajagopal, counsel for the ECI, made the submission before the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice MM Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan. The submission came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by C Selvakumar, which, among other reliefs, sought the derecognition of the TVK.
The plea for TVK's derecognition was lodged in the wake of the tragic stampede at the party's rally in Karur on September 27, which resulted in 41 deaths.
The Bench asked the Registry to place all matters related to the Karur stampede before the administrative side of the High Court, in order that a dedicated bench could be constituted to deal with the cases, excluding those already pending before the Supreme Court.
Regarding the specific prayer to derecognise TVK, Niranjan Rajagopal confirmed that the party was not currently a recognised entity, rendering that particular prayer void. The petition was initially filed in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court but was transferred to the First Bench because the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) was named as the first respondent.
The Bench added that the prayer seeking to alter the FIR against Vijay would be effectively dealt with by the Supreme Court’s order, which has already directed a CBI probe into the matter.
In his petition, Selvakumar sought a direction to the ECI to strictly enforce the prohibition on the use of children and women in any political rallies, processions, and election campaigns across the State, in strict compliance with the directive dated February 5, 2024.
He also demanded a direction mandating all recognised political parties to submit an undertaking ensuring adherence to this prohibition. If any political outfit fails to do so the ECI has been directed to initiate action, which will include derecognition. Furthermore, he sought a direction to fix liability upon the TVK leadership for allegedly mobilising women and minor children unlawfully, which resulted in the mass casualties, and demanded adequate compensation — a minimum of ₹1 crore per deceased — and proportionate relief for the injured.
Also read: TVK approaches Madras HC, seeks probe into Karur stampede
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