CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday criticised the ruling TVK government, alleging that it has failed to prevent custodial deaths and abuse of power by law enforcement officials.
He urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to take strong action to prevent custodial deaths, unnecessary police encounters, and abuse of power in order to ensure that people receive the change they had voted for.
In a statement, Palaniswami said people had voted for change after the previous DMK government, hoping such incidents would not continue. However, he alleged that the present government was following the same path and had failed to protect the lives of ordinary people.
Referring to recent incidents, he said a differently-abled remand prisoner died under suspicious circumstances in Nagercoil prison. He claimed that the prisoner’s family had alleged custodial torture and refused to accept the body, demanding justice. He also referred to the reported death of another remand prisoner in Puzhal prison and said the victim’s relatives were also seeking justice.
Palaniswami alleged that instead of fixing the problems, the government was trying to pacify the affected families by offering compensation and other assistance. He said no amount of money could replace a human life.
The AIADMK leader also referred to the deaths during the Karur stampede and said providing government jobs to some family members would not erase the loss suffered by the victims’ families.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Palaniswami announced that the party will hold weekly district-level consultation meetings, every Saturday, of its Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Peravai from July 25, 2026, to April 17, 2027.