India: Home Minister Amit Shah to inaugurate statewide Bharatiya Janata Party march from Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu State, July 28

Event

The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party will hold a multiphase march in parts of Tamil Nadu State, July 28-Jan. 11 to mobilize support ahead of the 2024 general election. Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the inauguration ceremony in a ground opposite the Rameswaram bus station, which organizers claim will involve over 150, 000 attendees. Shah will also visit the Ramanathaswamy Temple, as well as memorial events and places related to former President APJ Abdul Kalam through July 29. Authorities are deploying over 2,000 personnel to guard venues and routes used by Shah, as well as intensifying coastal patrols. Notable stops at urban centers during the first phase of the march are as follows.

• July 28-29: Ramanathapuram

• Aug. 5: Madurai

• Aug. 9: Tiruchirappalli

• Aug. 13: Thoothukudi

• Aug. 15: Kanyakumari

• Aug. 20: Tirunelveli

• Sept. 13: Coimbatore

• Sept. 21: Erode

Organizers will continue the march across other parts of Tamil Nadu State through early 2024, and will hold at least 11 public addresses in unspecified locations. Hundreds of supporters are likely to participate in the march, while a few thousand people may attend planned speeches. Well-attended rallies are likely to prompt security deployments, and may cause localized transport disruptions. Clashes between rival party supporters at related events cannot be ruled out. Skirmishes are also possible if police attempt to forcibly disperse disruptive crowds.

Advice

Avoid protests and navigating roadblocks as a standard security precaution. Allow additional travel time near rallies. Monitor official announcements on additional public gatherings, and any road closures. Heed all security and traffic advisories.