Vijay faces police case over Chennai rally, his party says authorities did not provide adequate security
Vijay has been accused of breaching the Model Code of Conduct by using around 30 loudspeakers and addressing a crowd of more than 5,000 people, causing public inconvenience.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay waves the party flag during a public rally at Kolathur Assembly constituency ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly Election, in Chennai, Monday, March 30, 2026. (PTI)
Chennai police have registered a case against actor-politician Vijay, the founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), for allegedly violating election conduct rules during a campaign event in Perambur. The party has, however, accused the authorities of failing to provide adequate security for the gathering.
The case, filed at the Peravallur Police Station based on a complaint by a Flying Squad officer, alleged that Vijay breached the Model Code of Conduct by using around 30 loudspeakers and addressing a crowd of more than 5,000 people, causing public inconvenience. The complaint also states that the gathering obstructed a public pathway and briefly blocked the movement of an ambulance, raising concerns about public safety.
Police said the case has been registered under five sections, including charges related to public nuisance, unlawful assembly and obstruction of public ways. According to reports, the complaint names Vijay along with nearly 5,000 party workers.
The development comes a day after Vijay addressed large gatherings in Perambur and Kolathur, where visuals showed dense crowds lining both sides of the roads as his campaign vehicle passed through. At one point, as the crowd surged forward, Vijay cut short his speech and moved on to the next location.
The campaign schedule was further disrupted when a planned meeting in Villivakkam was called off. TVK leaders cited “lack of security” for the decision. Aadhav Arjuna, the party’s general secretary for election management, alleged that there was insufficient police deployment to manage the crowd. “There was no police force to control the crowd,” he said, claiming the situation risked turning into another stampede.
In a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, the party said the absence of traffic regulation and police protection created “serious risk to public safety” and disrupted its campaign. It also raised concerns about “unequal treatment” during the election process.
The complaint and the party’s response come against the backdrop of a deadly stampede at a Vijay rally in Karur last September that killed 41 people, an incident that continues to cast a shadow over his high-energy campaign style.
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Vijay, who has announced his candidacy from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli (East), has drawn large crowds in his early campaign appearances, underscoring both his popularity and the logistical challenges of managing them.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
