NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s public event outside London’s iconic Shard skyscraper after the Metropolitan Police raised concerns over crowd safety.Hundreds of fans had gathered at the venue, with several waiting for hours to see the actor-turned-politician. Vijay’s team announced the cancellation over a loudspeaker, citing the lack of police permission on safety grounds.“For public safety concerns, we are calling off the programme because we don’t have permission due to safety concerns,” a member of the chief minister’s team said.

“I think it’s reasonable but all of these people have been waiting. This is hardly the kind of crowds we see in Tamil Nadu,” a young fan said. The fan had been waiting at Vijay’s hotel for hours.Vijay is in the UK as part of a state delegation seeking investments for Tamil Nadu. His office said earlier that the delegation had signed multiple memoranda of understanding involving investments worth around Rs 12,300 crore during the visit.The investment agreements are part of the state’s effort to position Tamil Nadu as a leading advanced manufacturing and technology hub in Asia. The projects are expected to create more than 9,400 high-value jobs across the state.Vijay is scheduled to conclude his UK visit and return to India on Wednesday.