Tamil Nadu Assembly Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday criticised the state government over the law and order situation, alleging that the drug menace was linked to several recent incidents of violence in the state.
Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly as Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay completed 100 days in office, Stalin raised the killing of 19-year-old Amudhan in Coimbatore and said the incident should not be dismissed as a gang clash.
“In Coimbatore, 19-year-old Amudhan was brutally killed. It’s not a gang war, it’s a murder. He belongs to the SC community,” Stalin said.
He alleged that Amudhan was killed after providing information about drug-related activities, adding that the victim’s parents had made a similar allegation.
“The drugs should have been seized. The main reason behind Amudhan’s death is due to drugs. His parents spoke to me; they said Amudhan was killed because he gave a tip-off about the drug menace,” he said.
Stalin said his party’s Kallakurichi district unit had organised a demonstration demanding justice in the case on the instructions of its leadership.
“We cannot overlook this as just another murder; we need to bring those at fault to justice,” he said.
He also referred to the killing of Class XII student Dhanush in Tiruvottiyur, Chennai, alleging that the teenager was attacked after questioning a drug-peddling gang.
“Similar to Coimbatore, in Chennai, Dhanush, a Class XII student, was brutally hacked because he gave a tip-off. The government said they are against drugs, but murders are happening,” Stalin said.
Stalin alleged that similar incidents had been reported in other parts of Tamil Nadu over the past week. He also raised concerns over alleged sexual assault cases and questioned the government on measures being taken to prevent such incidents.
“I am bringing all these things to the government’s attention. All these incidents have happened in the past one week. Not just murders, several sexual assault incidents have taken place in the state,” he said.
He urged the government to introduce counselling sessions in schools, launch sustained awareness campaigns against substance abuse and take stringent action against the drug trade.
Stalin also cited several other criminal incidents while expressing concern over the state’s law and order situation.
“Even as the government boasts about its achievements during its first 100 days in office, these very incidents bear witness to the dire state of law and order in Tamil Nadu during this period,” he said.
His remarks came as Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay marked 100 days in office and highlighted welfare and investment initiatives under the theme “100 Days of Governance - A Government for Generations”.
According to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Office, the government’s initiatives during its first 100 days have focused on women’s safety, farmers’ welfare, youth skill development and transparent administration.
While the government highlighted its welfare, investment and administrative measures, Stalin used the Assembly proceedings to press it over recent crimes, the alleged drug menace and the overall law and order situation in Tamil Nadu.
(With inputs from ANI)
