Chennai Police Ban Whistles at Chepauk Stadium Ahead of Tamil Nadu Elections

As the much-anticipated T20 World Cup kicked off on Saturday, Chennai police banned spectators from bringing whistles to the Chepauk stadium during Sunday’s match between Afghanistan and New Zealand, citing security concerns ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. According to reports, Chennai Police banned whistles at the MA Chidambaram Stadium during the T20 World Cup match between New Zealand and Afghanistan on Sunday. The decision has attracted particular notice because whistles are a familiar and widely used feature of cricket matches in Chennai. The decision came after actor Vijay’s party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was allotted the whistle as an official election symbol for the Tamil Nadu polls by the Election Commission. The TVK is contesting the elections for the first time. Reactions To Whistle Ban The decision to ban whistles at the Chepauk Stadium surprised many cricket fans, as whistles are part of the cricket culture. During the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings’ popular slogan “Whistle Podu" – derived from Vijay’s popular 2024 song of the same name – is frequently heard in the stadium. Fans have raised questions about whether the political context associated with the whistle symbol played a role in the restriction. “If they ban whistles during IPL, DMK will face backlash from CSK & Thala Dhoni fans," an X user posted. The TVK also reacted sharply to the ban. “Across the globe, be it a football match or any other match, people use whistles… This is so funny. Is it a product, is it a criminal product? It’s just a symbol. A whistle literally means stopping a foul game, right? This state, this government, is full of fouls," said TVK spokesperson Felix Gerald. Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Responds The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) clarified that the ban on whistles was not imposed by the stadium authorities, and was solely a police decision. The Chepauk Stadium management also stated that the ban has no connection with the International Cricket Council (ICC) or the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). As a rule, common items like water bottles, power banks and umbrellas are barred from stadiums on security grounds. The decision to add whistles to the list of prohibited objects is considered unusual, but some fans argue that the rules are different for ICC matches. Vijay, who is rumoured to be contesting from Chennai, has been highly critical of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu and has been insisting that the electoral fight is confined between his TVK and the ruling party only.