Thirumavalavan. (File)

Chennai: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thirumavalavan on Friday extended support to the INDIA bloc November 1 mega-rally. The VCK chief has said that party workers from at least 5 southern states are participating in the November 1 rally in Delhi. The rally at Ramlila Maidan is expected to have at least 10 lakh people attend at the newly designated protest site. “The Viduthalai Siruthaigal Party will participate in the protest on the 1st. Viduthalai Siruthaigal Party members from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka are participating,” Thirumavalavan told reporters at Chennai airport.

The VCK chief has also expressed support for the proposed social justice survey, which has been approved by the Tamil Nadu cabinet on Thursday. The survey is expected to be carried out after the national census. The Commission for conducting the social justice survey will be headed by a retired High Court judge and is expected to be conducted in February or March of 2027. Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar told reporters in Chennai, “After the population census conducted by the central government, we will be doing a social status survey. So for that there will be one commission will be formed in with the headed by a retired High Court judge, headed by retired High Court judge, one commission will be formed. With that commission, the social status survey will be conducted mostly after February or March.”

Meanwhile, the November 1 mega-rally is expected to have an attendance of 10 lakh people, which has raised apprehension within traders' bodies over how the area around Ramlila Maidan will be restricted, which will lead to businesses being impacted. The trade body highlighted that these hubs—some up to 300 years old—supply goods pan-India and depend on 5,000 daily trucks and tempos arriving from 56 industrial areas (including Narela, Bawana, Okhla, Mayapuri, Mundka, Udyog Nagar, and Mangolpuri).

Meanwhile, the rally—dubbed the 'Chalo Dilli Ramlila March'—has been called by the opposition INDIA bloc to demonstrate against alleged vote tampering. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi emphasised that the movement transcends individual party lines. 

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