TAMIL NADU, (India): A fierce law-and-order clash erupted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday (Sept 7) as the DMK targeted the government over a series of murders, prompting Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to promise action against offenders regardless of their political affiliation.
DMK members raised slogans at the start of proceedings and pressed the Speaker for a discussion on what they described as continuous murders and a deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state.
Vijay rejected any suggestion of political protection for offenders. He told the House that policing under his government would be governed by the same standard for everyone.
“I want to place on record an important point in this House – as far as the Police Department is concerned, it should be a friend to good people and an enemy to bad people. The law is equal for everyone. Whoever commits a crime, action will be taken irrespective of party lines. That is our policy,” Vijay said.
Vijay says recent crimes linked to revenge, past enmity
Responding to criticism over crimes reported during the past three months, Vijay said the cases had not occurred as part of a single pattern.
He attributed them to past enmity and revenge.
“The police should not be a power centre; they should be the protectors of the people. The crimes reported in the past three months did not happen all at once. All of them were driven by past enmity and revenge,” he said.
The Chief Minister also said he wanted to bring what he called a “new dimension” to the Police Department.
He cited the murder of a college student in Coimbatore and said 36 people had been arrested in connection with the case.
“Opposition parties use such situations to blame the ruling government,” Vijay said, arguing that individual crimes could have multiple causes.
‘Determined to put an end to drug culture’: Vijay
The Assembly exchange also widened into a debate over drug abuse.
“As a brother to our youngsters, I am determined to put an end to the drug culture in Tamil Nadu,” the Chief Minister said.
Vijay said anti-drug squads had been constituted in all 37 districts. According to figures he placed before the House, 330 cases had been registered under the NDPS Act in Chennai, and 556 people had been arrested over the past three months.
He identified peer pressure as one of the reasons behind drug use in the state.
Singappen Special Force formed to tackle crimes against women
The Chief Minister also addressed crimes against women and children, saying his government intended to intervene before offences occurred.
He said the government had constituted the Singappen Special Force to prevent crimes against women.
Vijay also reiterated that his government had “zero tolerance towards corruption”.
The remarks came as the DMK sought to keep the spotlight on public safety, turning law and order into the central point of confrontation during Monday’s Assembly proceedings. - The Statesman/ANN
