Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 29 : Tamil Nadu Minister I Periyasamy has refuted the allegations of denying permission to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay for the election campaign, asking him to apply online on the Election Commission's portal.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay has filed a complaint against the DMK government with the Tamil Nadu State Chief Election Commissioner. However, Periyasamy maintained that the permission for poll rallies is in the hands of the ECI during the Model Code of Conduct period.
"The Election Commission will give permission. The government doesn't give permission. If they apply online, they will get permission," the state minister told reporters on Saturday.
TVK had accused the Chennai Police of working in collusion with the DMK government to deny permission to the party for a poll rally in the Perambur Assembly constituency. The party alleged that the police officials declared the rally venue unsuitable for accommodating 3,000 people.
TVK wrote in a press release, "The concerted effort by the Chennai City Police--acting in collusion with certain officials--to obstruct a campaign event planned by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam constitutes nothing less than a fascist assault on democracy."
"Two days prior to the scheduled event (on March 26), the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had formally sought permission to conduct an election campaign at the Mullai Nagar Junction within the Perambur Assembly constituency in Chennai. However, just one day before our scheduled campaign event, the Chennai Corporation suddenly dug trenches at the designated site and erected iron barricades. From where did these sudden trenches and barricades materialise?" the release added.
"Citing this situation, the Police Department conducted an inspection and declared that the venue could not accommodate an assembly of 3,000 people. Based on this assessment--that the site was currently unsuitable for campaigning--permission was denied, and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's petition was rejected. Does the DMK--a caretaker government that acts against the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam with the complicity of certain officials--feel no shame in engaging in such conduct?" TVK asked.
Meanwhile, the TVK is scheduled to announce its list of candidates on Sunday.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.
The main electoral contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay-led TVK is attempting to turn the state elections into a three-way contest.