Chennai, March 30 (IANS) Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay on Monday lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, alleging inadequate police protection during his election campaign in Perambur, which forced him to halt his outreach midway.

In his complaint, Vijay stated that insufficient police deployment in the Perambur Assembly constituency led to severe crowd mismanagement, posing safety risks to both the candidate and the public. He pointed out that large gatherings along key roads brought his campaign convoy to a complete standstill, making it impossible to proceed as scheduled.

Calling the situation a serious lapse, he urged authorities to ensure a level playing field and demanded a thorough inquiry into the incident, along with action against officials responsible for the alleged negligence.

The complaint came after Vijay filed his nomination papers from Perambur for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The actor-turned-politician is contesting from two constituencies -- Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchi East -- marking his electoral debut.

Following the nomination filing, Vijay launched his campaign in Perambur, where he was met with an overwhelming response from supporters and the general public. Thousands gathered along the route to welcome him, reflecting the heightened political momentum around his entry into active politics.

However, as his campaign vehicle attempted to move towards the Kolathur constituency -- part of his planned itinerary -- the situation quickly escalated. A massive crowd surrounded the vehicle, leading to traffic paralysis and chaos on the roads.

With inadequate police presence to regulate the crowd, the campaign convoy was unable to move forward. Citing safety concerns and the lack of effective crowd control measures, Vijay decided to suspend his campaign midway.

He stressed in his complaint that such lapses could undermine the fairness of the election process and create avoidable risks during high-profile campaigns.

The incident has triggered renewed focus on election-time security arrangements in Tamil Nadu, particularly as prominent candidates ramp up campaigning ahead of the April 23 Assembly polls.

--IANS

aal/pgh