Madras High Court Calls for Guidelines to Penalise Parties Over Public Property Damage

Fast Summary

• The madras High Court has asked the Tamil Nadu government to frame guidelines for collecting monetary deposits from political parties organizing public events. These deposits could be used to penalize damages caused by such events.
• Justice N.Sathish Kumar directed the state’s Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) to submit a report on these guidelines by september 24, applicable uniformly to all political parties and organizations.
• The court’s interim direction follows evidence of public property damage during a rally in Tiruchi by actor Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), on September 13, 2025.
• TVK alleged that police imposed “23 onerous conditions,” including discouraging pregnant women,elderly individuals,and persons with disabilities from attending their event.
• TVK accused law enforcement of discrimination and claimed other political parties were granted more liberal permissions for similar events.
• The party also highlighted its peaceful campaign compliance in Tiruchi despite restrictive conditions and requested fair treatment for future campaigns scheduled between September 20 and December 20.

Indian Opinion analysis

The Madras High Court’s move emphasizes accountability while balancing public welfare with fair access to democratic spaces. By mandating uniform rules through monetary penalties for property damages, this step could deter future disruptions caused by mass gatherings irrespective of political affiliation or sway.However,allegations from the TVK about disproportionate enforcement bring attention to potential governance biases in granting permissions for events. If proven true, such practices could undermine democratic fairness.A well-balanced guideline system-clear and uniformly applied-could mitigate such claims while ensuring liability is proportionate across all entities involved in organizing large-scale public assemblies.

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