The deteriorating law-and-order situation is a major concern in Tamil Nadu. It was among the key issues that fuelled public anger against the previous DMK government. The party failed to read the writing on the wall and eventually paid a heavy price in the April 2026 Assembly elections.
The TVK, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, rode to power on promises to improve law and order and deliver a corruption-free government. However, the party's first few months in office have been marked more by rhetoric and political theatre than by action.
Meanwhile, despite Tamil Nadu's relatively strong performance among large states in the India Justice Report's assessment of justice-system capacity, NCRB data point to a worrying rise in registered cases of crimes against women and children.
Cases of crimes against women rose from 6,630 in 2020 to 11,354 in 2024. The number of cases involving crimes against children also increased sharply, climbing from 6,064 in 2021 to 10,046 in 2024.
Of the 10,046 cases involving crimes against children registered in 2024, as many as 6,969 were booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Against this backdrop, the DMK has come under scrutiny over its handling of complaints against 84-year-old granite baron R Veeramani. The Vijay-led government has arrested Veeramani in connection with multiple cases registered against him under the POCSO Act.
In addition to alleged sexual assault of minors, the police have also booked Veeramani for alleged abetment of suicide in connection with the death of a minor in 2004. The police formed a four-member, all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) on September 24, 2026.
The TVK's legal wing has also petitioned the SIT to investigate the alleged roles of former Chief Minister MK Stalin, former Law Minister S Regupathy and senior police officers in suppressing the case. he TVK pointed out that police had been alerted to Veeramani's alleged activities even before the October 2025 FIR. A complaint filed against Veeramani in 2024 by a Congress functionary is also now part of the SIT's inquiry.
The DMK, however, has accused the TVK of politicising the case.
Stalin alleged that the ruling party was exploiting the survivors' suffering for political gain, particularly ahead of the October 6 by-elections in the Dharapuram and Madurantakam Assembly constituencies, while Regupathy also echoed this argument, maintaining that the investigation should be allowed to proceed without political interference or exploitation.
However, the political battle over law and order is no longer confined to allegations against the previous regime. The DMK is now turning the tables on the TVK government.
On Wednesday, DMK president Stalin alleged that murders had risen alarmingly in the state, claiming that law and order had deteriorated and people were being forced to live in fear. He accused CM Vijay of missing in action and alleged that the TVK government had created an atmosphere in which criminals felt protected while victims were left abandoned.
For anyone who follows social media, the DMK IT cells' notoriety for trolling women activists is hardly a secret. Beyond the online sphere, several high-profile incidents have raised questions about the previous government's law-and-order record. These include custodial deaths, judicially identified lapses in the Anna University sexual assault case, the Kallakurichi illicit-liquor tragedy and the DMK government's opposition in the Supreme Court to transferring BSP leader Armstrong's murder investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In September 2025, the Madras High Court transferred the Armstrong murder investigation to the CBI, citing concerns about the credibility of the state police investigation. The court flagged issues relating to witness handling and investigative procedures.
A war of words will do little to ensure public safety.
If hubris contributed to the DMK government's downfall, the TVK government would do well to learn from its predecessor's mistakes and act before it is too late. It can keep blaming the previous regime, but in the end, it will be judged by its own record.
