The Thiruvananthapuram City police have tightened the norms for organising rallies within the city limits.
District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram city) S. Surendran has issued orders that made mandatory obtaining permission for holding rallies or public meetings at least a week in advance.
Microphones
Besides, the permission to use microphones for all programmes in the city must also be sought a week prior to the events.
The police have maintained that programmes that inconvenienced the public and obstructed traffic will no longer be permitted under any circumstances. The police will also restrict rallies to between 11a.m. and 1p.m. in view of the rising number of traffic snarls in the city.
Rallies will not be permitted in a manner that consumed the entire width of the road, thereby disrupting traffic entirely.
One side
Processions will here on be required to be restricted within a side of the thoroughfare.
Parking will be prohibited on stretches where rallies are undertaken.
Certain restrictions will be imposed for parking on other roads during the course of such programmes.
Strict penal action will be initiated against political parties or other organisations that are found to have violated the rules, Mr. Surendran says.