Opposition corners Tamil Nadu government over ‘rising’ crimes in House, Stalin hits back
The AIADMK MLAs led by EPS walked out as Stalin was speaking. Stalin challenged EPS to stay back and listen to him “if he had the guts”.
The ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK sparred over law and order continued in the assembly on Thursday with Leader of Opposition Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) alleging that four murders happened in Tamil Nadu just on Wednesday. Chief minister MK Stalin responded that murder rates in Tamil Nadu reduced by 6.8% in 2024 from 2023 while revenge murders went down by 42% during the same period.
Stalin also pointed out that the number of murders in the AIADMK regime in 2012 was 1,943. “This is the highest number in the last 12 years. The number of murders in 2013 was 1,927. During the Covid-19 lockdown period in 2020, the number was 1,661,” he said, adding that the state reported only 1,540 murders in 2024. Stalin became the chief minister in 2021.
The AIADMK MLAs led by EPS walked out as Stalin was speaking. Stalin challenged EPS to stay back and listen to him “if he had the guts”. He also took a dig at EPS by saying that unlike him he did not know of the murders by watching television. In 2018, when police shot dead 13 civilians protesting against Sterlite’s copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi district, EPS said he received the information from television news.
EPS listed that a constable Malaiyarasan’s charred body was found in Madurai and the similar case of a woman teacher in Coimbatore, the murder of a couple near Nasiyanur, the murder of a fortune teller in Thirubhuvanam, and the abduction and killing of DMK trade unionist Kumar in Chennai.
“These crimes occurred while the chief minister claims that no one can escape the law. Instead of a daily status report, now we are getting a daily murder report,” EPS said.
In response, Stalin said: “Preliminary reports say that the Coimbatore case was a suicide. Regarding the Madurai case, investigations are ongoing. In Sivaganga, the murder was due to a family dispute.”
On the murder in Erode, he said that the victim John alias Chanakyan from Salem was attacked by unidentified suspects while returning from Annadanapatti police station as part of his bail conditions and is currently undergoing treatment. “Preliminary findings suggest John was attacked in a vase of revenge as he is the second accused in the murder of history-sheeter Chelladurai in Salem in 2020.” Stalin said.
A day ago, Stalin promised murder of a former sub-inspector turned activist in Tirunelveli district. The opposition AIADMK and BJP have been cornering the DMK government over the deteriorating law and order in the state over murders and sexual crimes against women and children.
