Chennai’s Adambakkam police have denied permission to Arappor Iyakkam to conduct a door-to-door campaign and awareness march urging voters not to accept money for votes, ahead of the Assembly election.
According to the group, it had sought approval to hold the programme on April 11 from 4 pm to 6 pm within the Adambakkam police limits. Police, however, refused the request and cited a law-and-order concern.
Police reportedly said that campaigning against accepting cash or gifts could lead to arguments among residents in slum areas, potentially triggering law-and-order problems. They indicated that only a limited activity with five participants could be allowed, provided it does not inconvenience the public or disrupt traffic.
In a statement, Arappor Iyakkam said its volunteers have been running the “don’t take money for votes” campaign for over four months across different parts of Tamil Nadu without any incidents. The group alleged that singling out slum residents was defamatory and questioned the decision to block the march, while asserting that its awareness campaign would continue.
