False narrative being spun on social media pitting actor Vijay’s fans against T.N. government, Madras High Court told

False narrative spun on social media: police had nothing against actor/fans; theatre didn't seek permission; no police complaint lodged; judge wonders why police deny permission for public events; mayhem at AR Rahman's concert due to fake tickets. Judge adjourns hearing on RSS route march plea to Oct 11.

A false narrative is being spun on social media, seeming to indicate that the audio launch of actor Vijay starrer ‘Leo’, was cancelled only because of the Greater Chennai police’s refusal to grant permission for the event and that a cinema theatre, which played the movie’s trailer on Thursday, October 5, 2023, was ransacked also because the police failed to provide protection, State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah told the Madras High Court on Friday.

Appearing before Justice G. Jayachandran, the SPP said the police had nothing against the actor or his fans and that necessary protection would be provided if the producers of the movie were willing to hold the audio launch even today. He also said, the theatre management had not sought any permission from the Commissioner of Police for playing the trailer of the movie and hence, protection was not provided.

Though social media was abuzz with videos of the seats in the theatre having been ransacked by frenzied fans of the actor, so far no police complaint whatsoever had been lodged in that regard too. If the police decide to take suo motu action against the miscreants, then again, there is the threat of one more false narrative being spun making it seem as if the State and the police were against the actor and his fans, the SPP told the judge.

The submissions were made during the hearing of two writ petitions seeking permission for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) route marches and public meetings at Vazhapadi in Salem district and in Krishnagiri town on October 29. Opposing the plea, an Additional Public Prosecutor told the court that the route on which the march had been planned was dotted with mosques and churches and so there was a possibility of law and order problems.

However, not in agreement with such a submission, the judge wondered why the police always deny permission for public events. He cited the incident of the cinema theatre in Chennai city having been ransacked and said it could have been averted if the police had provided necessary protection for the event and regulated the crowd. He also referred to the mayhem created during music composer A.R. Rahman’s concert in Chennai last month.

Explaining the reason for the confusion during the concert, the State PP told the judge that it was primarily due to printing and distribution of fake tickets. He also said that way too many people had gathered at the venue with such fake tickets. After hearing him, the judge adjourned the hearing on the plea for the RSS route march to October 11.